diff options
Diffstat (limited to '8183-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 8183-0.txt | 4698 |
1 files changed, 4698 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/8183-0.txt b/8183-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9fb4609 --- /dev/null +++ b/8183-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4698 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook of Time and the Gods, by Lord Dunsany + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you +will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before +using this eBook. + +Title: Time and the Gods + +Author: Lord Dunsany [Edward J. M. D. Plunkett] + +Release Date: June 27, 2003 [eBook #8183] +[Most recently updated: December 23, 2022] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +Produced by: Joris Van Dael, Jerry Fairbanks, Suzanne L. Shell, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIME AND THE GODS *** + +[Illustration] + + + + +TIME AND THE GODS + +by Lord Dunsany + + +_With Nine Full-Page Illustrations by_ +S. H. SIME + +LONDON +WILLIAM HEINEMANN +1906 + + +Contents + + Preface + Part I: + Time and the Gods + The Coming of the Sea + A Legend of the Dawn + The Vengeance of Men + When the Gods Slept + The King That Was Not + The Cave of Kai + The Sorrow of Search + The Men of Yarnith + For the Honour of the Gods + Night and Morning + Usury + Mlideen + The Secret of the Gods + The South Wind + In the Land of Time + The Relenting of Sarnidac + The Jest of the Gods + The Dreams of the Prophet + Part II: + The Journey of the King + + +List of Illustrations + + Inzana calls up the Thunder + Kai Laughed + Departure of Hothrun Dath + Lo! The Gods + The Opulence of Yahn + “Yazun is God” + The Tomb of Morning Zai + The Dirge of Shimono Kani + Pattering Leaves Danced + + + + +PREFACE + + +These tales are of the things that befell gods and men in Yarnith, +Averon, and Zarkandhu, and in the other countries of my dreams. + + + + +PART I. + + + + +TIME AND THE GODS + + +Once when the gods were young and only Their swarthy servant Time was +without age, the gods lay sleeping by a broad river upon earth. There +in a valley that from all the earth the gods had set apart for Their +repose the gods dreamed marble dreams. And with domes and pinnacles the +dreams arose and stood up proudly between the river and the sky, all +shimmering white to the morning. In the city’s midst the gleaming +marble of a thousand steps climbed to the citadel where arose four +pinnacles beckoning to heaven, and midmost between the pinnacles there +stood the dome, vast, as the gods had dreamed it. All around, terrace +by terrace, there went marble lawns well guarded by onyx lions and +carved with effigies of all the gods striding amid the symbols of the +worlds. With a sound like tinkling bells, far off in a land of +shepherds hidden by some hill, the waters of many fountains turned +again home. Then the gods awoke and there stood Sardathrion. Not to +common men have the gods given to walk Sardathrion’s streets, and not +to common eyes to see her fountains. Only to those to whom in lonely +passes in the night the gods have spoken, leaning through the stars, to +those that have heard the voices of the gods above the morning or seen +Their faces bending above the sea, only to those hath it been given to +see Sardathrion, to stand where her pinnacles gathered together in the +night fresh from the dreams of gods. For round the valley a great +desert lies through which no common traveller may come, but those whom +the gods have chosen feel suddenly a great longing at heart, and +crossing the mountains that divide the desert from the world, set out +across it driven by the gods, till hidden in the desert’s midst they +find the valley at last and look with eyes upon Sardathrion. + +In the desert beyond the valley grow a myriad thorns, and all pointing +towards Sardathrion. So may many that the gods have loved come to the +marble city, but none can return, for other cities are no fitting home +for men whose feet have touched Sardathrion’s marble streets, where +even the gods have not been ashamed to come in the guise of men with +Their cloaks wrapped about their faces. Therefore no city shall ever +hear the songs that are sung in the marble citadel by those in whose +ears have rung the voices of the gods. No report shall ever come to +other lands of the music of the fall of Sardathrion’s fountains, when +the waters which went heavenward return again into the lake where the +gods cool Their brows sometimes in the guise of men. None may ever hear +the speech of the poets of that city, to whom the gods have spoken. + +It stands a city aloof. There hath been no rumour of it—I alone have +dreamed of it, and I may not be sure that my dreams are true. + + +Above the Twilight the gods were seated in the after years, ruling the +worlds. No longer now They walked at evening in the Marble City hearing +the fountains splash, or listening to the singing of the men they +loved, because it was in the after years and the work of the gods was +to be done. + +But often as they rested a moment from doing the work of the gods, from +hearing the prayers of men or sending here the Pestilence or there +Mercy, They would speak awhile with one another of the olden years +saying, “Rememberest thou not Sardathrion?” and another would answer +“Ah! Sardathrion, and all Sardathrion’s mist-draped marble lawns +whereon we walk not now.” + +Then the gods turned to do the work of the gods, answering the prayers +of men or smiting them, and ever They sent Their swarthy servant Time +to heal or overwhelm. And Time went forth into the worlds to obey the +commands of the gods, yet he cast furtive glances at his masters, and +the gods distrusted Time because he had known the worlds or ever the +gods became. + +One day when furtive Time had gone into the worlds to nimbly smite some +city whereof the gods were weary, the gods above the twilight speaking +to one another said: + +“Surely we are the lords of Time and gods of the worlds besides. See +how our city Sardathrion lifts over other cities. Others arise and +perish but Sardathrion standeth yet, the first and the last of cities. +Rivers are lost in the sea and streams forsake the hills, but ever +Sardathrion’s fountains arise in our dream city. As was Sardathrion +when the gods were young, so are her streets to-day as a sign that we +are the gods.” + +Suddenly the swart figure of Time stood up before the gods, with both +hands dripping with blood and a red sword dangling idly from his +fingers, and said: + +“Sardathrion is gone! I have overthrown it!” + +And the gods said: + +“Sardathrion? Sardathrion, the marble city? Thou, thou hast overthrown +it? Thou, the slave of the gods?” + +And the oldest of the gods said: + +“Sardathrion, Sardathrion, and is Sardathrion gone?” + +And furtively Time looked him in the face and edged towards him +fingering with his dripping fingers the hilt of his nimble sword. + +Then the gods feared with a new fear that he that had overthrown Their +city would one day slay the gods. And a new cry went wailing through +the Twilight, the lament of the gods for Their dream city, crying: + +“Tears may not bring again Sardathrion. + +“But this the gods may do who have seen, and seen with unrelenting +eyes, the sorrows of ten thousand worlds—thy gods may weep for thee. + +“Tears may not bring again Sardathrion. + +“Believe it not, Sardathrion, that ever thy gods sent this doom to +thee; he that hath overthrown thee shall overthrow thy gods. + +“How oft when Night came suddenly on Morning playing in the fields of +Twilight did we watch thy pinnacles emerging from the darkness, +Sardathrion, Sardathrion, dream city of the gods, and thine onyx lions +looming limb by limb from the dusk. + +“How often have we sent our child the Dawn to play with thy fountain +tops; how often hath Evening, loveliest of our goddesses, strayed long +upon thy balconies. + +“Let one fragment of thy marbles stand up above the dust for thine old +gods to caress, as a man when all else is lost treasures one lock of +the hair of his beloved. + +“Sardathrion, the gods must kiss once more the place where thy streets +were once. + +“There were wonderful marbles in thy streets, Sardathrion.” + +“Sardathrion, Sardathrion, the gods weep for thee.” + + + + +THE COMING OF THE SEA + + +Once there was no sea, and the gods went walking over the green plains +of earth. + +Upon an evening of the forgotten years the gods were seated on the +hills, and all the little rivers of the world lay coiled at Their feet +asleep, when Slid, the new god, striding through the stars, came +suddenly upon earth lying in a corner of space. And behind Slid there +marched a million waves, all following Slid and tramping up the +twilight; and Slid touched Earth in one of her great green valleys that +divide the south, and here he encamped for the night with all his waves +about him. But to the gods as They sat upon Their hilltops a new cry +came crying over the green spaces that lay below the hills, and the +gods said: + +“This is neither the cry of life nor yet the whisper of death. What is +this new cry that the gods have never commanded, yet which comes to the +ears of the gods?” + +And the gods together shouting made the cry of the south, calling the +south wind to them. And again the gods shouted all together making the +cry of the north, calling the north wind to Them; and thus They +gathered to Them all Their winds and sent these four down into the low +plains to find what thing it was that called with the new cry, and to +drive it away from the gods. + +Then all the winds harnessed up their clouds and drave forth till they +came to the great green valley that divides the south in twain, and +there found Slid with all his waves about him. Then for a space Slid +and the four winds struggled with one another till the strength of the +winds was gone, and they limped back to the gods, their masters, and +said: + +“We have met this new thing that has come upon the earth and have +striven against its armies, but could not drive them forth; and the new +thing is beautiful but very angry, and is creeping towards the gods.” + +But Slid advanced and led his armies up the valley, and inch by inch +and mile by mile he conquered the lands of the gods. Then from Their +hills the gods sent down a great array of cliffs of hard, red rocks, +and bade them march against Slid. And the cliffs marched down till they +came and stood before Slid and leaned their heads forward and frowned +and stood staunch to guard the lands of the gods against the might of +the sea, shutting Slid off from the world. Then Slid sent some of his +smaller waves to search out what stood against him, and the cliffs +shattered them. But Slid went back and gathered together a hoard of his +greatest waves and hurled them against the cliffs, and the cliffs +shattered them. And again Slid called up out of his deep a mighty array +of waves and sent them roaring against the guardians of the gods, and +the red rocks frowned and smote them. And once again Slid gathered his +greater waves and hurled them against the cliffs; and when the waves +were scattered like those before them the feet of the cliffs were no +longer standing firm, and their faces were scarred and battered. Then +into every cleft that stood in the rocks Slid sent his hugest wave and +others followed behind it, and Slid himself seized hold of huge rocks +with his claws and tore them down and stamped them under his feet. And +when the tumult was over the sea had won, and over the broken remnants +of those red cliffs the armies of Slid marched on and up the long green +valley. + +Then the gods heard Slid exulting far away and singing songs of triumph +over Their battered cliffs, and ever the tramp of his armies sounded +nearer and nearer in the listening ears of the gods. + +Then the gods called to Their downlands to save Their world from Slid, +and the downlands gathered themselves and marched away, a great white +line of gleaming cliffs, and halted before Slid. Then Slid advanced no +more and lulled his legions, and while his waves were low he softly +crooned a song such as once long ago had troubled the stars and brought +down tears out of the twilight. + +Sternly the white cliffs stood on guard to save the world of the gods, +but the song that once had troubled the stars went moaning on awaking +pent desires, till full at the feet of the gods the melody fell. Then +the blue rivers that lay curled asleep opened their gleaming eyes, +uncurled themselves and shook their rushes, and, making a stir among +the hills, crept down to find the sea. And passing across the world +they came at last to where the white cliffs stood, and, coming behind +them, split them here and there and went through their broken ranks to +Slid at last. And the gods were angry with Their traitorous streams. + +Then Slid ceased from singing the song that lures the world, and +gathered up his legions, and the rivers lifted up their heads with the +waves, and all went marching on to assail the cliffs of the gods. And +wherever the rivers had broken the ranks of the cliffs, Slid’s armies +went surging in and broke them up into islands and shattered the +islands away. And the gods on Their hill-tops heard once more the voice +of Slid exulting over Their cliffs. + +Already more than half the world lay subject to Slid, and still his +armies advanced; and the people of Slid, the fishes and the long eels, +went in and out of arbours that once were dear to the gods. Then the +gods feared for Their dominion, and to the innermost sacred recesses of +the mountains, to the very heart of the hills, the gods trooped off +together and there found Tintaggon, a mountain of black marble, staring +far over the earth, and spake thus to him with the voices of the gods: + +“O eldest born of our mountains, when first we devised the earth we +made thee, and thereafter fashioned fields and hollows, valleys and +other hills, to lie about thy feet. And now, Tintaggon, thine ancient +lords, the gods, are facing a new thing which overthrows the old. Go +therefore, thou, Tintaggon, and stand up against Slid, that the gods be +still the gods and the earth still green.” + +And hearing the voices of his sires, the elder gods, Tintaggon strode +down through the evening, leaving a wake of twilight broad behind him +as he strode: and going across the green earth came down to Ambrady at +the valley’s edge, and there met the foremost of Slid’s fierce armies +conquering the world. + +And against him Slid hurled the force of a whole bay, which lashed +itself high over Tintaggon’s knees and streamed around his flanks and +then fell and was lost. Tintaggon still stood firm for the honour and +dominion of his lords, the elder gods. Then Slid went to Tintaggon and +said: “Let us now make a truce. Stand thou back from Ambrady and let me +pass through thy ranks that mine armies may now pass up the valley +which opens on the world, that the green earth that dreams around the +feet of older gods shall know the new god Slid. Then shall mine armies +strive with thee no more, and thou and I shall be the equal lords of +the whole earth when all the world is singing the chaunt of Slid, and +thy head alone shall be lifted above mine armies when rival hills are +dead. And I will deck thee with all the robes of the sea, and all the +plunder that I have taken in rare cities shall be piled before thy +feet. Tintaggon, I have conquered all the stars, my song swells through +all the space besides, I come victorious from Mahn and Khanagat on the +furthest edge of the worlds, and thou and I are to be equal lords when +the old gods are gone and the green earth knoweth Slid. Behold me +gleaming azure and fair with a thousand smiles, and swayed by a +thousand moods.” And Tintaggon answered: “I am staunch and black and +have one mood, and this—to defend my masters and their green earth.” + +Then Slid went backward growling and summoned together the waves of a +whole sea and sent them singing full in Tintaggon’s face. Then from +Tintaggon’s marble front the sea fell backwards crying on to a broken +shore, and ripple by ripple straggled back to Slid saying: “Tintaggon +stands.” + +Far out beyond the battered shore that lay at Tintaggon’s feet Slid +rested long and sent the nautilus to drift up and down before +Tintaggon’s eyes, and he and his armies sat singing idle songs of +dreamy islands far away to the south, and of the still stars whence +they had stolen forth, of twilight evenings and of long ago. Still +Tintaggon stood with his feet planted fair upon the valley’s edge +defending the gods and Their green earth against the sea. + +And all the while that Slid sang his songs and played with the nautilus +that sailed up and down he gathered his oceans together. One morning as +Slid sang of old outrageous wars and of most enchanting peace and of +dreamy islands and the south wind and the sun, he suddenly launched +five oceans out of the deep all to attack Tintaggon. And the five +oceans sprang upon Tintaggon and passed above his head. One by one the +grip of the oceans loosened, one by one they fell back into the deep +and still Tintaggon stood, and on that morning the might of all five +oceans lay dead at Tintaggon’s feet. That which Slid had conquered he +still held, and there is now no longer a great green valley in the +south, but all that Tintaggon had guarded against Slid he gave back to +the gods. Very calm the sea lies now about Tintaggon’s feet, where he +stands all black amid crumbled cliffs of white, with red rocks piled +about his feet. And often the sea retreats far out along the shore, and +often wave by wave comes marching in with the sound of the tramping of +armies, that all may still remember the great fight that surged about +Tintaggon once, when he guarded the gods and the green earth against +Slid. + +Sometimes in their dreams the war-scarred warriors of Slid still lift +their heads and cry their battle cry; then do dark clouds gather about +Tintaggon’s swarthy brow and he stands out menacing, seen afar by +ships, where once he conquered Slid. And the gods know well that while +Tintaggon stands They and Their world are safe; and whether Slid shall +one day smite Tintaggon is hidden among the secrets of the sea. + + + + +A LEGEND OF THE DAWN + + +When the worlds and All began the gods were stern and old and They saw +the Beginning from under eyebrows hoar with years, all but Inzana, +Their child, who played with the golden ball. Inzana was the child of +all the gods. And the law before the Beginning and thereafter was that +all should obey the gods, yet hither and thither went all Pegāna’s gods +to obey the Dawnchild because she loved to be obeyed. + +It was dark all over the world and even in Pegāna, where dwell the +gods, it was dark when the child Inzana, the Dawn, first found her +golden ball. Then running down the stairway of the gods with tripping +feet, chalcedony, onyx, chalcedony, onyx, step by step, she cast her +golden ball across the sky. The golden ball went bounding up the sky, +and the Dawnchild with her flaring hair stood laughing upon the +stairway of the gods, and it was day. So gleaming fields below saw the +first of all the days that the gods have destined. But towards evening +certain mountains, afar and aloof, conspired together to stand between +the world and the golden ball and to wrap their crags about it and to +shut it from the world, and all the world was darkened with their plot. +And the Dawnchild up in Pegāna cried for her golden ball. Then all the +gods came down the stairway right to Pegāna’s gate to see what ailed +the Dawnchild and to ask her why she cried. Then Inzana said that her +golden ball had been taken away and hidden by mountains black and ugly, +far away from Pegāna, all in a world of rocks under the rim of the sky, +and she wanted her golden ball and could not love the dark. + +Thereat Umborodom, whose hound was the thunder, took his hound in +leash, and strode away across the sky after the golden ball until he +came to the mountains afar and aloof. There did the thunder put his +nose to the rocks and bay along the valleys, and fast at his heels +followed Umborodom. And the nearer the hound, the thunder, came to the +golden ball the louder did he bay, but haughty and silent stood the +mountains whose plot had darkened the world. All in the dark among the +crags in a mighty cavern, guarded by two twin peaks, at last they found +the golden ball for which the Dawnchild wept. Then under the world went +Umborodom with his thunder panting behind him, and came in the dark +before the morning from underneath the world and gave the Dawnchild +back her golden ball. And Inzana laughed and took it in her hands, and +Umborodom went back into Pegāna, and at its threshold the thunder went +to sleep. + +Again the Dawnchild tossed the golden ball far up into the blue across +the sky, and the second morning shone upon the world, on lakes and +oceans, and on drops of dew. But as the ball went bounding on its way, +the prowling mists and the rain conspired together and took it and +wrapped it in their tattered cloaks and carried it away. And through +the rents in their garments gleamed the golden ball, but they held it +fast and carried it right away and underneath the world. Then on an +onyx step Inzana sat down and wept, who could no more be happy without +her golden ball. And again the gods were sorry, and the South Wind came +to tell her tales of most enchanted islands, to whom she listened not, +nor yet to the tales of temples in lone lands that the East Wind told +her, who had stood beside her when she flung her golden ball. But from +far away the West Wind came with news of three grey travellers wrapt +round with battered cloaks that carried away between them a golden +ball. + +Then up leapt the North Wind, he who guards the pole, and drew his +sword of ice out of his scabbard of snow and sped away along the road +that leads across the blue. And in the darkness underneath the world he +met the three grey travellers and rushed upon them and drove them far +before him, smiting them with his sword till their grey cloaks streamed +with blood. And out of the midst of them, as they fled with flapping +cloaks all red and grey and tattered, he leapt up with the golden ball +and gave it to the Dawnchild. + +Again Inzana tossed the ball into the sky, making the third day, and up +and up it went and fell towards the fields, and as Inzana stooped to +pick it up she suddenly heard the singing of all the birds that were. +All the birds in the world were singing all together and also all the +streams, and Inzana sat and listened and thought of no golden ball, nor +ever of chalcedony and onyx, nor of all her fathers the gods, but only +of all the birds. Then in the woods and meadows where they had all +suddenly sung, they suddenly ceased. And Inzana, looking up, found that +her ball was lost, and all alone in the stillness one owl laughed. When +the gods heard Inzana crying for her ball They clustered together on +the threshold and peered into the dark, but saw no golden ball. And +leaning forward They cried out to the bat as he passed up and down: +“Bat that seest all things, where is the golden ball?” + +And though the bat answered none heard. And none of the winds had seen +it nor any of the birds, and there were only the eyes of the gods in +the darkness peering for the golden ball. Then said the gods: “Thou +hast lost thy golden ball,” and They made her a moon of silver to roll +about the sky. And the child cried and threw it upon the stairway and +chipped and broke its edges and asked for the golden ball. And Limpang +Tung, the Lord of Music, who was least of all the gods, because the +child cried still for her golden ball, stole out of Pegāna and crept +across the sky, and found the birds of all the world sitting in trees +and ivy, and whispering in the dark. He asked them one by one for news +of the golden ball. Some had last seen it on a neighbouring hill and +others in trees, though none knew where it was. A heron had seen it +lying in a pond, but a wild duck in some reeds had seen it last as she +came home across the hills, and then it was rolling very far away. + +At last the cock cried out that he had seen it lying beneath the world. +There Limpang Tung sought it and the cock called to him through the +darkness as he went, until at last he found the golden ball. Then +Limpang Tung went up into Pegāna and gave it to the Dawnchild, who +played with the moon no more. And the cock and all his tribe cried out: +“We found it. We found the golden ball.” + +Again Inzana tossed the ball afar, laughing with joy to see it, her +hands stretched upwards, her golden hair afloat, and carefully she +watched it as it fell. But alas! it fell with a splash into the great +sea and gleamed and shimmered as it fell till the waters became dark +above it and could be seen no more. And men on the world said: “How the +dew has fallen, and how the mists set in with breezes from the +streams.” + +But the dew was the tears of the Dawnchild, and the mists were her +sighs when she said: “There will no more come a time when I play with +my ball again, for now it is lost for ever.” + +And the gods tried to comfort Inzana as she played with her silver +moon, but she would not hear Them, and went in tears to Slid, where he +played with gleaming sails, and in his mighty treasury turned over gems +and pearls and lorded it over the sea. And she said: “O Slid, whose +soul is in the sea, bring back my golden ball.” + +And Slid stood up, swarthy, and clad in seaweed, and mightily dived +from the last chalcedony step out of Pegāna’s threshold straight into +ocean. There on the sand, among the battered navies of the nautilus and +broken weapons of the swordfish, hidden by dark water, he found the +golden ball. And coming up in the night, all green and dripping, he +carried it gleaming to the stairway of the gods and brought it back to +Inzana from the sea; and out of the hands of Slid she took it and +tossed it far and wide over his sails and sea, and far away it shone on +lands that knew not Slid, till it came to its zenith and dropped +towards the world. + +But ere it fell the Eclipse dashed out from his hiding, and rushed at +the golden ball and seized it in his jaws. When Inzana saw the Eclipse +bearing her plaything away she cried aloud to the thunder, who burst +from Pegāna and fell howling upon the throat of the Eclipse, who +dropped the golden ball and let it fall towards earth. But the black +mountains disguised themselves with snow, and as the golden ball fell +down towards them they turned their peaks to ruby crimson and their +lakes to sapphires gleaming amongst silver, and Inzana saw a jewelled +casket into which her plaything fell. But when she stooped to pick it +up again she found no jewelled casket with rubies, silver or sapphires, +but only wicked mountains disguised in snow that had trapped her golden +ball. And then she cried because there was none to find it, for the +thunder was far away chasing the Eclipse, and all the gods lamented +when They saw her sorrow. And Limpang Tung, who was least of all the +gods, was yet the saddest at the Dawnchild’s grief, and when the gods +said: “Play with your silver moon,” he stepped lightly from the rest, +and coming down the stairway of the gods, playing an instrument of +music, went out towards the world to find the golden ball because +Inzana wept. + + +[Illustration: Inzāna calls up the Thunder ] + + +And into the world he went till he came to the nether cliffs that stand +by the inner mountains in the soul and heart of the earth where the +Earthquake dwelleth alone, asleep but astir as he sleeps, breathing and +moving his legs, and grunting aloud in the dark. Then in the ear of the +Earthquake Limpang Tung said a word that only the gods may say, and the +Earthquake started to his feet and flung the cave away, the cave +wherein he slept between the cliffs, and shook himself and went +galloping abroad and overturned the mountains that hid the golden ball, +and bit the earth beneath them and hurled their crags about and covered +himself with rocks and fallen hills, and went back ravening and +growling into the soul of the earth, and there lay down and slept again +for a hundred years. And the golden ball rolled free, passing under the +shattered earth, and so rolled back to Pegāna; and Limpang Tung came +home to the onyx step and took the Dawnchild by the hand and told not +what he had done but said it was the Earthquake, and went away to sit +at the feet of the gods. But Inzana went and patted the Earthquake on +the head, for she said it was dark and lonely in the soul of the earth. +Thereafter, returning step by step, chalcedony, onyx, chalcedony, onyx, +up the stairway of the gods, she cast again her golden ball from the +Threshold afar into the blue to gladden the world and the sky, and +laughed to see it go. + +And far away Trogool upon the utter Rim turned a page that was numbered +six in a cipher that none might read. And as the golden ball went +through the sky to gleam on lands and cities, there came the Fog +towards it, stooping as he walked with his dark brown cloak about him, +and behind him slunk the Night. And as the golden ball rolled past the +Fog suddenly Night snarled and sprang upon it and carried it away. +Hastily Inzana gathered the gods and said: “The Night hath seized my +golden ball and no god alone can find it now, for none can say how far +the Night may roam, who prowls all round us and out beyond the worlds.” + +At the entreaty of Their Dawnchild all the gods made Themselves stars +for torches, and far away through all the sky followed the tracks of +Night as far as he prowled abroad. And at one time Slid, with the +Pleiades in his hand, came nigh to the golden ball, and at another +Yoharneth-Lahai, holding Orion for a torch, but lastly Limpang Tung, +bearing the morning star, found the golden ball far away under the +world near to the lair of Night. + +And all the gods together seized the ball, and Night turning smote out +the torches of the gods and thereafter slunk away; and all the gods in +triumph marched up the gleaming stairway of the gods, all praising +little Limpang Tung, who through the chase had followed Night so close +in search of the golden ball. Then far below on the world a human child +cried out to the Dawnchild for the golden ball, and Inzana ceased from +her play that illumined world and sky, and cast the ball from the +Threshold of the gods to the little human child that played in the +fields below, and would one day die. And the child played all day long +with the golden ball down in the little fields where the humans lived, +and went to bed at evening and put it beneath his pillow, and went to +sleep, and no one worked in all the world because the child was +playing. And the light of the golden ball streamed up from under the +pillow and out through the half shut door and shone in the western sky, +and Yoharneth-Lahai in the night time tip-toed into the room, and took +the ball gently (for he was a god) away from under the pillow and +brought it back to the Dawnchild to gleam on an onyx step. + +But some day Night shall seize the golden ball and carry it right away +and drag it down to his lair, and Slid shall dive from the Threshold +into the sea to see if it be there, and coming up when the fishermen +draw their nets shall find it not, nor yet discover it among the sails. +Limpang Tung shall seek among the birds and shall not find it when the +cock is mute, and up the valleys shall go Umborodom to seek among the +crags. And the hound, the thunder, shall chase the Eclipse and all the +gods go seeking with Their stars, but never find the ball. And men, no +longer having light of the golden ball, shall pray to the gods no more, +who, having no worship, shall be no more the gods. + +These things be hidden even from the gods. + + + + +THE VENGEANCE OF MEN + + +Ere the Beginning the gods divided earth into waste and pasture. +Pleasant pastures They made to be green over the face of earth, +orchards They made in valleys and heather upon hills, but Harza They +doomed, predestined and foreordained to be a waste for ever. + +When the world prayed at evening to the gods and the gods answered +prayers They forgot the prayers of all the Tribes of Arim. Therefore +the men of Arim were assailed with wars and driven from land to land +and yet would not be crushed. And the men of Arim made them gods for +themselves, appointing men as gods until the gods of Pegāna should +remember them again. And their leaders, Yoth and Haneth, played the +part of gods and led their people on though every tribe assailed them. +At last they came to Harza, where no tribes were, and at last had rest +from war, and Yoth and Haneth said: “The work is done, and surely now +Pegāna’s gods will remember.” And they built a city in Harza and tilled +the soil, and the green came over the waste as the wind comes over the +sea, and there were fruit and cattle in Harza and the sounds of a +million sheep. There they rested from their flight from all the tribes, +and builded fables out of all their sorrows till all men smiled in +Harza and children laughed. + +Then said the gods, “Earth is no place for laughter.” Thereat They +strode to Pegāna’s outer gate, to where the Pestilence lay curled +asleep, and waking him up They pointed toward Harza, and the Pestilence +leapt forward howling across the sky. + +That night he came to the fields near Harza, and stalking through the +grass sat down and glared at the lights, and licked his paws and glared +at the lights again. + +But the next night, unseen, through laughing crowds, the Pestilence +crept into the city, and stealing into the houses one by one, peered +into the people’s eyes, looking even through their eyelids, so that +when morning came men stared before them crying out that they saw the +Pestilence whom others saw not, and thereafter died, because the green +eyes of the Pestilence had looked into their souls. Chill and damp was +he, yet there came heat from his eyes that parched the souls of men. +Then came the physicians and the men learned in magic, and made the +sign of the physicians and the sign of the men of magic and cast blue +water upon herbs and chanted spells; but still the Pestilence crept +from house to house and still he looked into the souls of men. And the +lives of the people streamed away from Harza, and whither they went is +set in many books. But the Pestilence fed on the light that shines in +the eyes of men, which never appeased his hunger; chiller and damper he +grew, and the heat from his eyes increased when night by night he +galloped through the city, going by stealth no more. + +Then did men pray in Harza to the gods, saying: + +“High gods! Show clemency to Harza.” + +And the gods listened to their prayers, but as They listened They +pointed with their fingers and cheered the Pestilence on. And the +Pestilence grew bolder at his masters’ voices and thrust his face close +up before the eyes of men. + +He could be seen by none saving those he smote. At first he slept by +day, lying in misty hollows, but as his hunger increased he sprang up +even in sunlight and clung to the chests of men and looked down through +their eyes into their souls that shrivelled, until almost he could be +dimly seen even by those he smote not. + +Adro, the physician, sat in his chamber with one light burning, making +a mixing in a bowl that should drive the Pestilence away, when through +his door there blew a draught that set the light a-flickering. + +Then because the draught was cold the physician shivered and went and +closed the door, but as he turned again he saw the Pestilence lapping +at his mixing, who sprang and set one paw upon Adro’s shoulder and +another upon his cloak, while with two he clung to his waist, and +looked him in the eyes. + +Two men were walking in the street; one said to the other: “Upon the +morrow I will sup with thee.” + +And the Pestilence grinned a grin that none beheld, baring his dripping +teeth, and crept away to see whether upon the morrow those men should +sup together. + +A traveller coming in said: “This is Harza. Here will I rest.” + +But his life went further than Harza upon that day’s journey. + +All feared the Pestilence, and those that he smote beheld him, but none +saw the great shapes of the gods by starlight as They urged Their +Pestilence on. + +Then all men fled from Harza, and the Pestilence chased dogs and rats +and sprang upward at the bats as they sailed above him, who died and +lay in the streets. But soon he returned and pursued the men of Harza +where they fled, and sat by rivers where they came to drink, away below +the city. Then back to Harza went the people of Harza pursued by the +Pestilence still, and gathered in the Temple of All the gods save One, +and said to the High Prophet: “What may now be done?” who answered: + +“All the gods have mocked at prayer. This sin must now be punished by +the vengeance of men.” + +And the people stood in awe. + +The High Prophet went up to the Tower beneath the sky whereupon beat +the eyes of all the gods by starlight. There in the sight of the gods +he spake in the ear of the gods, saying: “High gods! Ye have made mock +of men. Know therefore that it is writ in ancient lore and found by +prophecy that there is an _End_ that waiteth for the gods, who shall go +down from Pegāna in galleons of gold all down the Silent River and into +the Silent Sea, and there Their galleons shall go up in mist and They +shall be gods no more. And men shall gain harbour from the mocking of +the gods at last in the warm moist earth, but to the gods shall no +ceasing ever come from being the Things that were the gods. When Time +and worlds and death are gone away nought shall then remain but worn +regrets and Things that were once gods. + +“In the sight of the gods. + +“In the ear of the gods.” + +Then the gods shouted all together and pointed with Their hands at the +High Prophet’s throat, and the Pestilence sprang. + +Long since the High Prophet is dead and his words are forgotten by men, +but the gods know not yet whether it be true that _The End_ is waiting +for the gods, and him who might have told Them They have slain. And the +gods of Pegāna are fearing the fear that hath fallen upon the gods +because of the vengeance of men, for They know not when _The End_ shall +be, or whether it shall come. + + + + +WHEN THE GODS SLEPT + + +All the gods were sitting in Pegāna, and Their slave, Time, lay idle at +Pegāna’s gate with nothing to destroy, when They thought of worlds, +worlds large and round and gleaming, and little silver moons. Then (who +knoweth when?), as the gods raised Their hands making the sign of the +gods, the thoughts of the gods became worlds and silver moons. And the +worlds swam by Pegāna’s gate to take their places in the sky, to ride +at anchor for ever, each where the gods had bidden. And because they +were round and big and gleamed all over the sky, the gods laughed and +shouted and all clapped Their hands. Then upon earth the gods played +out the game of the gods, the game of life and death, and on the other +worlds They did a secret thing, playing a game that is hidden. + +At last They mocked no more at life and laughed at death no more, and +cried aloud in Pegāna: “Will no new thing be? Must those four march for +ever round the world till our eyes are wearied with the treading of the +feet of the Seasons that will not cease, while Night and Day and Life +and Death drearily rise and fall?” + +And as a child stares at the bare walls of a narrow hut, so the gods +looked all listlessly upon the worlds, saying: + +“Will no new thing be?” + +And in Their weariness the gods said: “Ah! to be young again. Ah! to be +fresh once more from the brain of _Mana-Yood-Sushai_.” + +And They turned away Their eyes in weariness from all the gleaming +worlds and laid Them down upon Pegāna’s floor, for They said: + +“It may be that the worlds shall pass and we would fain forget them.” + +Then the gods slept. Then did the comet break loose from his moorings +and the eclipse roamed about the sky, and down on the earth did Death’s +three children—Famine, Pestilence, and Drought—come out to feed. The +eyes of the Famine were green, and the eyes of the Drought were red, +but the Pestilence was blind and smote about all round him with his +claws among the cities. + +But as the gods slept, there came from beyond the Rim, out of the dark +and unknown, three Yozis, spirits of ill, that sailed up the river of +Silence in galleons with silver sails. Far away they had seen Yum and +Gothum, the stars that stand sentinel over Pegāna’s gate, blinking and +falling asleep, and as they neared Pegāna they found a hush wherein the +gods slept heavily. Ya, Ha, and Snyrg were these three Yozis, the lords +of evil, madness, and of spite. When they crept from their galleons and +stole over Pegāna’s silent threshold it boded ill for the gods. There +in Pegāna lay the gods asleep, and in a corner lay the Power of the +gods alone upon the floor, a thing wrought of black rock and four words +graven upon it, whereof I might not give thee any clue, if even I +should find it—four words of which none knoweth. Some say they tell of +the opening of a flower towards dawn, and others say they concern +earthquakes among hills, and others that they tell of the death of +fishes, and others that the words be these: Power, Knowledge, +Forgetting, and another word that not the gods themselves may ever +guess. These words the Yozis read, and sped away in dread lest the gods +should wake, and going aboard their galleons, bade the rowers haste. +Thus the Yozis became gods, having the power of gods, and they sailed +away to the earth, and came to a mountainous island in the sea. There +they sat upon the rocks, sitting as the gods sit, with their right +hands uplifted, and having the power of gods, only none came to +worship. Thither came no ships nigh them, nor ever at evening came the +prayers of men, nor smell of incense, nor screams from the sacrifice. +Then said the Yozis: + +“Of what avails it that we be gods if no one worship us nor give us +sacrifice?” + +And Ya, Ha, and Snyrg set sail in their silver galleons, and went +looming down the sea to come to the shores of men. And first they came +to an island where were fisher folk; and the folk of the island, +running down to the shore cried out to them: + +“Who be ye?” + +And the Yozis answered: + +“We be three gods, and we would have your worship.” + +But the fisher folk answered: + +“Here we worship Rahm, the Thunder, and have no worship nor sacrifice +for other gods.” + +Then the Yozis snarled with anger and sailed away, and sailed till they +came to another shore, sandy and low and forsaken. And at last they +found an old man upon the shore, and they cried out to him: + +“Old man upon the shore! We be three gods that it were well to worship, +gods of great power and apt in the granting of prayer.” + +The old man answered: + +“We worship Pegāna’s gods, who have a fondness for our incense and the +sound of our sacrifice when it squeals upon the altar.” + +Then answered Snyrg: + +“Asleep are Pegāna’s gods, nor will They wake for the humming of thy +prayers which lie in the dust upon Pegāna’s floor, and over Them +Sniracte, the spider of the worlds, hath woven a web of mist. And the +squealing of the sacrifice maketh no music in ears that are closed in +sleep.” + +The old man answered, standing upon the shore: + +“Though all the gods of old shall answer our prayers no longer, yet +still to the gods of old shall all men pray here in Syrinais.” + +But the Yozis turned their ships about and angrily sailed away, all +cursing Syrinais and Syrinais’s gods, but most especially the old man +that stood upon the shore. + +Still the three Yozis lusted for the worship of men, and came, on the +third night of their sailing, to a city’s lights; and nearing the shore +they found it a city of song wherein all folks rejoiced. Then sat each +Yozi on his galleon’s prow, and leered with his eyes upon the city, so +that the music stopped and the dancing ceased, and all looked out to +sea at the strange shapes of the Yozis beneath their silver sails. Then +Snyrg demanded their worship, promising increase of joys, and swearing +by the light of his eyes that he would send little flames to leap over +the grass, to pursue the enemies of that city and to chase them about +the world. + +But the people answered that in that city men worshipped Agrodaun, the +mountain standing alone, and might not worship other gods even though +they came in galleons with silver sails, sailing from over the sea. But +Snyrg answered: + +“Certainly Agrodaun is only a mountain, and in no manner a god.” + +But the priests of Agrodaun sang answer from the shore: + +“If the sacrifice of men make not Agrodaun a god, nor blood still young +on his rocks, nor the little fluttering prayers of ten thousand hearts, +nor two thousands years of worship and all the hopes of the people and +the whole strength of our race, then are there no gods and ye be common +sailors, sailing from over the sea.” + +Then said the Yozis: + +“Hath Agrodaun answered prayer?” And the people heard the words that +the Yozis said. + +Then went the priests of Agrodaun away from the shore and up the steep +streets of the city, the people following, and over the moor beyond it +to the foot of Agrodaun, and then said: + +“Agrodaun, if thou art not our god, go back and herd with yonder common +hills, and put a cap of snow upon thy head and crouch far off as they +do beneath the sky; but if we have given thee divinity in two thousand +years, if our hopes are all about thee like a cloak, then stand and +look upon thy worshippers from over our city for ever.” And the smoke +that ascended from his feet stood still and there fell a hush over +great Agrodaun; and the priests went back to the sea and said to the +three Yozis: + +“New gods shall have our worship when Agrodaun grows weary of being our +god, or when in some night-time he shall stride away, leaving us nought +to gaze at that is higher than our city.” + +And the Yozis sailed away and cursed towards Agrodaun, but could not +hurt him, for he was but a mountain. + +And the Yozis sailed along the coast till they came to a river running +to the sea, and they sailed up the river till they came to a people at +work, who furrowed the soil and sowed, and strove against the forest. +Then the Yozis called to the people as they worked in the fields: + +“Give us your worship and ye shall have many joys.” + +But the people answered: + +“We may not worship you.” + +Then answered Snyrg: + +“Ye also, have ye a god?” + +And the people answered: + +“We worship the years to come, and we set the world in order for their +coming, as one layeth raiment on the road before the advent of a King. +And when those years shall come, they shall accept the worship of a +race they knew not, and their people shall make their sacrifice to the +years that follow them, who, in their turn, shall minister to the +_End_.” + +Then answered Snyrg: + +“Gods that shall recompense you not. Rather give us your prayers and +have our pleasures, the pleasures that we shall give you, and when your +gods shall come, let them be wroth—they cannot punish you.” + +But the people continued to sacrifice their labour to their gods, the +years to come, making the world a place for gods to dwell in, and the +Yozis cursed those gods and sailed away. And Ya, the Lord of malice, +swore that when those years should come, they should see whether it +were well for them to have snatched away the worship from three Yozis. + +And still the Yozis sailed, for they said: + +“It were better to be birds and have no air to fly in, than to be gods +having neither prayers nor worship.” + +But where sky met with ocean, the Yozis saw land again, and thither +sailed; and there the Yozis saw men in strange old garments performing +ancient rites in a land of many temples. And the Yozis called to the +men as they performed their ancient rites and said: + +“We be three gods well versed in the needs of men, to worship whom were +to obtain instant joy.” + +But the men said: + +“We have already gods.” + +And Snyrg replied: + +“Ye, too?” + +The men answered: + +“For we worship the things that have been and all the years that were. +Divinely have they helped us, therefore we give them worship that is +their due.” + +And the Yozis answered the people: + +“We be gods of the present and return good things for worship.” + +But the people answered, saying from the shore: + +“Our gods have given us already the good things, and we return Them the +worship that is Their due.” + +And the Yozis set their faces to landward, and cursed all things that +had been and all the years that were, and sailed in their galleons +away. + +A rocky shore in an inhuman land stood up against the sea. Thither the +Yozis came and found no man, but out of the dark from inland towards +evening came a herd of great baboons and chattered greatly when they +saw the ships. + +Then spake Snyrg to them: + +“Have ye, too, a god?” + +And the baboons spat. + +Then said the Yozis: + +“We be seductive gods, having a particular remembrance for little +prayers.” + +But the baboons leered fiercely at the Yozis and would have none of +them for gods. + +One said that prayers hindered the eating of nuts. But Snyrg leaned +forward and whispered, and the baboons went down upon their knees and +clasped their hands as men clasp, and chattered prayer and said to one +another that these were the gods of old, and gave the Yozis their +worship—for Snyrg had whispered in their ears that, if they would +worship the Yozis, he would make them men. And the baboons arose from +worshipping, smoother about the face and a little shorter in the arms, +and went away and hid their bodies in clothing, and afterwards galloped +away from the rocky shore and went and herded with men. And men could +not discern what they were, for their bodies were bodies of men, though +their souls were still the souls of beasts and their worship went to +the Yozis, spirits of ill. + +And the lords of malice, hatred and madness sailed back to their island +in the sea and sat upon the shore as gods sit, with right hand +uplifted; and at evening foul prayers from the baboons gathered about +them and infested the rocks. + +But in Pegāna the gods awoke with a start. + + + + +THE KING THAT WAS NOT + + +The land of Runazar hath no King nor ever had one; and this is the law +of the land of Runazar that, seeing that it hath never had a King, it +shall not have one for ever. Therefore in Runazar the priests hold +sway, who tell people that never in Runazar hath there been a King. + +Althazar, King of Runazar, and lord of all lands near by, commanded for +the closer knowledge of the gods that Their images should be carven in +Runazar, and in all lands near by. And when Althazar’s command, wafted +abroad by trumpets, came tinkling in the ear of all the gods, right +glad were They at the sound of it. Therefore men quarried marble from +the earth, and sculptors busied themselves in Runazar to obey the edict +of the King. But the gods stood by starlight on the hills where the +sculptors might see Them, and draped the clouds about Them, and put +upon Them Their divinest air, that sculptors might do justice to +Pegāna’s gods. Then the gods strode back into Pegāna and the sculptors +hammered and wrought, and there came a day when the Master of Sculptors +took audience of the King, saying: + +“Althazar, King of Runazar, High Lord moreover of all the lands near +by, to whom be the gods benignant, humbly have we completed the images +of all such gods as were in thine edict named.” + +Then the King commanded a great space to be cleared among the houses in +his city, and there the images of all the gods were borne and set +before the King, and there were assembled the Master of Sculptors and +all his men; and before each stood a soldier bearing a pile of gold +upon a jewelled tray, and behind each stood a soldier with a drawn +sword pointing against their necks, and the King looked upon the +images. And lo! they stood as gods with the clouds all draped about +them, making the sign of the gods, but their bodies were those of men, +and lo! their faces were very like the King’s, and their beards were as +the King’s beard. And the King said: + +“These be indeed Pegāna’s gods.” + +And the soldiers that stood before the sculptors were caused to present +to them the piles of gold, and the soldiers that stood behind the +sculptors were caused to sheath their swords. And the people shouted: + +“These be indeed Pegāna’s gods, whose faces we are permitted to see by +the will of Althazar the King, to whom be the gods benignant.” And +heralds were sent abroad through the cities of Runazar and of all the +lands near by, proclaiming of the images: + +“These be Pegāna’s gods.” + +But up in Pegāna the gods howled with wrath and Mung leant forward to +make the sign of Mung against Althazar the King. But the gods laid +Their hands upon his shoulder saying: + +“Slay him not, for it is not enough that Althazar shall die, who hath +made the faces of the gods to be like the faces of men, but he must not +even have ever been.” + +Then said the gods: + +“Spake we of Althazar, a King?” + +And the gods said: + +“Nay, we spake not.” And the gods said: + +“Dreamed we of one Althazar?” And the gods said: + +“Nay, we dreamed not.” + +But in the royal palace of Runazar, Althazar, passing suddenly out of +the remembrance of the gods, became no longer a thing that was or had +ever been. + +And by the throne of Althazar lay a robe, and near it lay a crown, and +the priests of the gods entered his palace and made it a temple of the +gods. And the people coming to worship said: + +“Whose was this robe and to what purpose is this crown?” + +And the priests answered: + +“The gods have cast away the fragment of a garment and lo! from the +fingers of the gods hath slipped one little ring.” + +And the people said to the priests: + +“Seeing that Runazar hath never had a King, therefore be ye our rulers, +and make ye our laws in the sight of Pegāna’s gods.” + + + + +THE CAVE OF KAI + + +The pomp of crowning was ended, the rejoicings had died away, and +Khanazar, the new King, sat in the seat of the Kings of Averon to do +his work upon the destinies of men. His uncle, Khanazar the Lone, had +died, and he had come from a far castle to the south, with a great +procession, to Ilaun, the citadel of Averon; and there they had crowned +him King of Averon and of the mountains, and Lord, if there be aught +beyond those mountains, of all such lands as are. But now the pomp of +the crowning was gone away and Khanazar sat afar off from his home, a +very mighty King. + +Then the King grew weary of the destinies of Averon and weary of the +making of commands. So Khanazar sent heralds through all cities saying: + +“Hear! The will of the King! Hear! The will of the King of Averon and +of the mountains and Lord, if there be aught beyond those mountains, of +all such lands as are. Let there come together to Ilaun all such as +have an art in secret matters. Hear!” + +And there gathered together to Ilaun the wise men of all the degrees of +magic, even to the seventh, who had made spells before Khanazar the +Lone; and they came before the new King in his palace placing their +hands upon his feet. Then said the King to the magicians: + +“I have a need.” + +And they answered: + +“The earth touches the feet of the King in token of submission.” + +But the King answered: + +“My need is not of the earth; but I would find certain of the hours +that have been, and sundry days that were.” + +And all the wise folks were silent, till there spake out mournfully the +wisest of them all, who made spells in the seventh degree, saying: + +“The days that were, and the hours, have winged their way to Mount +Agdora’s summit, and there, dipping, have passed away from sight, not +ever to return, for haply they have not heard the King’s command.” + +Of these wise folks are many things chronicled. Moreover, it is set in +writing of the scribes how they had audience of King Khanazar and of +the words they spake, but of their further deeds there is no legend. +But it is told how the King sent men to run and pass through all the +cities till they should find one that was wiser even than the magicians +that had made spells before Khanazar the Lone. Far up the mountains +that limit Averon they found Syrahn, the prophet, among the goats, who +was of none of the degrees of magic, and who had cast no spells before +the former King. Him they brought to Khanazar, and the King said unto +him: + +“I have a need.” + +And Syrahn answered: + +“Thou art a man.” + +And the King said: + +“Where lie the days that were and certain hours?” + +And Syrahn answered: + +“These things lie in a cave afar from here, and over the cave stands +sentinel one Kai, and this cave Kai hath guarded from the gods and men +since ever the Beginning was made. It may be that he shall let Khanazar +pass by.” + +Then the King gathered elephants and camels that carried burdens of +gold, and trusty servants that carried precious gems, and gathered an +army to go before him and an army to follow behind, and sent out +horsemen to warn the dwellers of the plains that the King of Averon was +afoot. + +And he bade Syrahn to lead to that place where the days of old lie hid +and all forgotten hours. + +Across the plain and up Mount Agdora, and dipping beyond its summit +went Khanazar the King, and his two armies who followed Syrahn. Eight +times the purple tent with golden border had been pitched for the King +of Averon, and eight times it had been struck ere the King and the +King’s armies came to a dark cave in a valley dark, where Kai stood +guard over the days that were. And the face of Kai was as a warrior +that vanquisheth cities and burdeneth himself not with captives, and +his form was as the forms of gods, but his eyes were the eyes of +beasts; before whom came the King of Averon with elephants and camels +bearing burdens of gold, and trusty servants carrying precious gems. + +Then said the King: + +“Yonder behold my gifts. Give back to me my yesterday with its waving +banners, my yesterday with its music and blue sky and all its cheering +crowds that made me King, the yesterday that sailed with gleaming wings +over my Averon.” + +And Kai answered, pointing to his cave: + +“Thither, dishonoured and forgot, thy yesterday slunk away. And who +amid the dusty heap of the forgotten days shall grovel to find thy +yesterday?” + +Then answered the King of Averon and of the mountains and Lord, if +there be aught beyond them, of all such lands as are: + +“I will go down on my knees in yon dark cave and search with my hands +amid the dust, if so I may find my yesterday again and certain hours +that are gone.” + +And the King pointed to his piles of gold that stood where elephants +were met together, and beyond them to the scornful camels. And Kai +answered: + +“The gods have offered me the gleaming worlds and all as far as the +Rim, and whatever lies beyond it as far as the gods may see—and thou +comest to me with elephants and camels.” + +Then said the King: + +“Across the orchards of my home there hath passed one hour whereof thou +knowest well, and I pray to thee, who wilt take no gifts borne upon +elephants or camels, to give me of thy mercy one second back, one grain +of dust that clings to that hour in the heap that lies within thy +cave.” + +And, at the word mercy, Kai laughed. And the King turned his armies to +the east. Therefore the armies returned to Averon and the heralds +before them cried: + +“Here cometh Khanazar, King of Averon and of the mountains and Lord, if +there be aught beyond those mountains, of all such lands as are.” + + +[Illustration: Kai Laughed] + + +And the King said to them: + +“Say rather that here comes one greatly wearied who, having +accomplished nought, returneth from a quest forlorn.” + +So the King came again to Averon. + +But it is told how there came into Ilaun one evening as the sun was +setting a harper with a golden harp desiring audience of the King. + +And it is told how men led him to Khanazar, who sat frowning alone upon +his throne, to whom said the harper: + +“I have a golden harp; and to its strings have clung like dust some +seconds out of the forgotten hours and little happenings of the days +that were.” + +And Khanazar looked up and the harper touched the strings, and the old +forgotten things were stirring again, and there arose a sound of songs +that had passed away and long since voices. Then when the harper saw +that Khanazar looked not angrily upon him his fingers tramped over the +chords as the gods tramp down the sky, and out of the golden harp arose +a haze of memories; and the King leaning forward and staring before him +saw in the haze no more his palace walls, but saw a valley with a +stream that wandered through it, and woods upon either hill, and an old +castle standing lonely to the south. And the harper, seeing a strange +look upon the face of Khanazar, said: + +“Is the King pleased who lords it over Averon and the mountains, and, +if there be aught beyond them, over all such lands as are?” + +And the King said:— + +“Seeing that I am a child again in a valley to the south, how may I say +what may be the will of the great King?” + +When the stars shone high over Ilaun and still the King sat staring +straight before him, all the courtiers drew away from the great palace, +save one that stayed and kept one taper burning, and with them went the +harper. + +And when the dawn came up through silent archways into the marble +palace, making the taper pale, the King still stared before him, and +still he sat there when the stars shone again clearly and high above +Ilaun. + +But on the second morning the King arose and sent for the harper and +said to him:— + +“I am King again, and thou that hast a skill to stay the hours and +mayest bring again to men their forgotten days, thou shalt stand +sentinel over my great to-morrow; and when I go forth to conquer +Ziman-ho and make my armies mighty thou shalt stand between that morrow +and the cave of Kai, and haply some deed of mine and the battling of my +armies shall cling to thy golden harp and not go down dishonoured into +the cave. For my to-morrow, who with such resounding stride goes +trampling through my dreams, is far too kingly to herd with forgotten +days in the dust of things that were. But on some future day, when +Kings are dead and all their deeds forgotten, some harper of that time +shall come and from those golden strings awake those deeds that echo in +my dreams, till my to-morrow shall stride forth among the lesser days +and tell the years that Khanazar was a King.” + +And answered the harper: + +“I will stand sentinel over thy great to-morrow, and when thou goest +forth to conquer Ziman-ho and make thine armies mighty I will stand +between thy morrow and the cave of Kai, till thy deeds and the battling +of thine armies shall cling to my golden harp and not go down +dishonoured into the cave. So that when Kings are dead and all their +deeds forgotten the harpers of the future time shall awake from these +golden chords those deeds of thine. This will I do.” + +Men of these days, that be skilled upon the harp, tell still of +Khanazar, how that he was King of Averon and of the mountains, and +claimed lordship of certain lands beyond, and how he went with armies +against Ziman-ho and fought great battles, and in the last gained +victory and was slain. But Kai, as he waited with his claws to gather +in the last days of Khanazar that they might loom enormous in his cave, +still found them not, and only gathered in some meaner deeds and the +days and hours of lesser men, and was vexed by the shadow of a harper +that stood between him and the world. + + + + +THE SORROW OF SEARCH + + +It is told also of King Khanazar how he bowed very low unto the gods of +Old. None bowed so low unto the gods of Old as did King Khanazar. + +One day the King returning from the worship of the gods of Old and from +bowing before them in the temple of the gods commanded their prophets +to appear before him, saying: + +“I would know somewhat concerning the gods.” + +Then came the prophets before King Khanazar, burdened with many books, +to whom the King said: + +“It is not in books.” + +Thereat the prophets departed, bearing away with them a thousand +methods well devised in books whereby men may gain wisdom of the gods. +One alone remained, a master prophet, who had forgotten books, to whom +the King said: + +“The gods of Old are mighty.” + +And answered the master prophet: + +“Very mighty are the gods of Old.” + +Then said the King: + +“There are no gods but the gods of Old.” + +And answered the prophet: + +“There are none other.” + +And they two being alone within the palace the King said: + +“Tell me aught concerning gods or men if aught of the truth be known.” + +Then said the master prophet: + +“Far and white and straight lieth the road to Knowing, and down it in +the heat and dust go all wise people of the earth, but in the fields +before they come to it the very wise lie down or pluck the flowers. By +the side of the road to Knowing—O King, it is hard and hot—stand many +temples, and in the doorway of every temple stand many priests, and +they cry to the travellers that weary of the road, crying to them: + +“This is the End.” + +And in the temples are the sounds of music, and from each roof arises +the savour of pleasant burning; and all that look at a cool temple, +whichever temple they look at, or hear the hidden music, turn in to see +whether it be indeed the End. And such as find that their temple is not +indeed the End set forth again upon the dusty road, stopping at each +temple as they pass for fear they miss the End, or striving onwards on +the road, and see nothing in the dust, till they can walk no longer and +are taken worn and weary of their journey into some other temple by a +kindly priest who shall tell them that this also is the End. Neither on +that road may a man gain any guiding from his fellows, for only one +thing that they say is surely true, when they say: + +“Friend, we can see nothing for the dust.” + +And of the dust that hides the way much has been there since ever that +road began, and some is stirred up by the feet of all that travel upon +it, and more arises from the temple doors. + +And, O King, it were better for thee, travelling upon that road, to +rest when thou hearest one calling: “This is the End,” with the sounds +of music behind him. And if in the dust and darkness thou pass by Lo +and Mush and the pleasant temple of Kynash, or Sheenath with his opal +smile, or Sho with his eyes of agate, yet Shilo and Mynarthitep, Gazo +and Amurund and Slig are still before thee and the priests of their +temples will not forget to call thee. + +And, O King, it is told that only one discerned the end and passed by +three thousand temples, and the priests of the last were like the +priests of the first, and all said that their temple was at the end of +the road, and the dark of the dust lay over them all, and all were very +pleasant and only the road was weary. And in some were many gods, and +in a few only one, and in some the shrine was empty, and all had many +priests, and in all the travellers were happy as they rested. And into +some his fellow travellers tried to force him, and when he said: + +“I will travel further,” many said: + +“This man lies, for the road ends here.” + +And he that travelled to the End hath told that when the thunder was +heard upon the road there arose the sound of the voices of all the +priests as far as he could hear, crying: + +“Hearken to Shilo”—“Hear Mush”—“Lo! Kynash”—“The voice of +Sho”—“Mynarthitep is angry”—“Hear the word of Slig!” + +And far away along the road one cried to the traveller that Sheenath +stirred in his sleep. + +O King this is very doleful. It is told that that traveller came at +last to the utter End and there was a mighty gulf, and in the darkness +at the bottom of the gulf one small god crept, no bigger than a hare, +whose voice came crying in the cold: + +“I know not.” + +And beyond the gulf was nought, only the small god crying. + +And he that travelled to the End fled backwards for a great distance +till he came to temples again, and entering one where a priest cried: + +“This is the End,” lay down and rested on a couch. There Yush sat +silent, carved with an emerald tongue and two great eyes of sapphire, +and there many rested and were happy. And an old priest, coming from +comforting a child, came over to that traveller who had seen the End +and said to him: + +“This is Yush and this is the End of wisdom.” + +And the traveller answered: + +“Yush is very peaceful and this indeed the End.” + +“O King, wouldst thou hear more?” + +And the King said: + +“I would hear all.” + +And the master prophet answered: + +“There was also another prophet and his name was Shaun, who had such +reverence for the gods of Old that he became able to discern their +forms by starlight as they strode, unseen by others, among men. Each +night did Shaun discern the forms of the gods and every day he taught +concerning them, till men in Averon knew how the gods appeared all grey +against the mountains, and how Rhoog was higher than Mount Scagadon, +and how Skun was smaller, and how Asgool leaned forward as he strode, +and how Trodath peered about him with small eyes. But one night as +Shaun watched the gods of Old by starlight, he faintly discerned some +other gods that sat far up the slopes of the mountains in the stillness +behind the gods of Old. And the next day he hurled his robe away that +he wore as Averon’s prophet and said to his people: + +“There be gods greater than the gods of Old, three gods seen faintly on +the hills by starlight looking on Averon.” + +And Shaun set out and travelled many days and many people followed him. +And every night he saw more clearly the shapes of the three new gods +who sat silent when the gods of Old were striding among men. On the +higher slopes of the mountain Shaun stopped with all his people, and +there they built a city and worshipped the gods, whom only Shaun could +see, seated above them on the mountain. And Shaun taught how the gods +were like grey streaks of light seen before dawn, and how the god on +the right pointed upward toward the sky, and how the god on the left +pointed downward toward the ground, but the god in the middle slept. + +And in the city Shaun’s followers built three temples. The one on the +right was a temple for the young, and the one on the left a temple for +the old, and the third was a temple with doors closed and +barred—therein none ever entered. One night as Shaun watched before the +three gods sitting like pale light against the mountain, he saw on the +mountain’s summit two gods that spake together and pointed, mocking the +gods of the hill, only he heard no sound. The next day Shaun set out +and a few followed him to climb to the mountain’s summit in the cold, +to find the gods who were so great that they mocked at the silent +three. And near the two gods they halted and built for themselves huts. +Also they built a temple wherein the Two were carved by the hand of +Shaun with their heads turned towards each other, with mockery on Their +faces and Their fingers pointing, and beneath Them were carved the +three gods of the hill as actors making sport. None remembered now +Asgool, Trodath, Skun, and Rhoog, the gods of Old. + +For many years Shaun and his few followers lived in their huts upon the +mountain’s summit worshipping gods that mocked, and every night Shaun +saw the two gods by starlight as they laughed to one another in the +silence. And Shaun grew old. + +One night as his eyes were turned towards the Two, he saw across the +mountains in the distance a great god seated in the plain and looming +enormous to the sky, who looked with angry eyes towards the Two as they +sat and mocked. Then said Shaun to his people, the few that had +followed him thither: + +“Alas that we may not rest, but beyond us in the plain sitteth the one +true god and he is wroth with mocking. Let us therefore leave these two +that sit and mock and let us find the truth in the worship of that +greater god, who even though he kill shall yet not mock us.” + +But the people answered: + +“Thou hast taken from us many gods and taught us now to worship gods +that mock, and if there is laughter on their faces as we die, lo! thou +alone canst see it, and we would rest.” + +But three men who had grown old with following followed still. + +And down the steep mountain on the further side Shaun led them, saying: + +“Now we shall surely know.” + +And the three old men answered: + +“We shall know indeed, O last of all the prophets.” + +That night the two gods mocking at their worshippers mocked not at +Shaun nor his three followers, who coming to the plain still travelled +on till they came at last to a place where the eyes of Shaun at night +could closely see the vast form of their god. And beyond them as far as +the sky there lay a marsh. There they rested, building such shelters as +they could, and said to one another: + +“This is the End, for Shaun discerneth that there are no more gods, and +before us lieth the marsh and old age hath come upon us.” + +And since they could not labour to build a temple, Shaun carved upon a +rock all that he saw by starlight of the great god of the plain; so +that if ever others forsook the gods of Old because they saw beyond +them the Greater Three, and should thence come to knowledge of the +Twain that mocked, and should yet persevere in wisdom till they saw by +starlight him whom Shaun named the Ultimate god, they should still find +there upon the rock what one had written concerning the end of search. +For three years Shaun carved upon the rock, and rising one night from +carving, saying: + +“Now is my labour done,” saw in the distance four greater gods beyond +the Ultimate god. Proudly in the distance beyond the marsh these gods +were tramping together, taking no heed of the god upon the plain. Then +said Shaun to his three followers: + +“Alas that we know not yet, for there be gods beyond the marsh.” + +None would follow Shaun, for they said that old age must end all +quests, and that they would rather wait there in the plain for Death +than that he should pursue them across the marsh. + +Then Shaun said farewell to his followers, saying: + +“You have followed me well since ever we forsook the gods of Old to +worship greater gods. Farewell. It may be that your prayers at evening +shall avail when you pray to the god of the plain, but I must go +onward, for there be gods beyond.” + +So Shaun went down into the marsh, and for three days struggled through +it, and on the third night saw the four gods not very far away, yet +could not discern Their faces. All the next day Shaun toiled on to see +Their faces by starlight, but ere the night came up or one star shone, +at set of sun, Shaun fell down before the feet of his four gods. The +stars came out, and the faces of the four shone bright and clear, but +Shaun saw them not, for the labour of toiling and seeing was over for +Shaun; and lo! They were Asgool, Trodath, Skun, and Rhoog—The gods of +Old. + +Then said the King: + +“It is well that the sorrow of search cometh only to the wise, for the +wise are very few.” + +Also the King said: + +“Tell me this thing, O prophet. Who are the true gods?” + +The master prophet answered: + +“Let the King command.” + + + + +THE MEN OF YARNITH + + +The men of Yarnith hold that nothing began until Yarni Zai uplifted his +hand. Yarni Zai, they say, has the form of a man but is greater and is +a thing of rock. When he uplifted his hand all the rocks that wandered +beneath the Dome, by which name they call the sky, gathered together +around Yarni Zai. + +Of the other worlds they say nought, but hold that the stars are the +eyes of all the other gods that look on Yarni Zai and laugh, for they +are all greater than he, though they have gathered no worlds around +them. + +Yet though they be greater than Yarni Zai, and though they laugh at him +when they speak together beneath the Dome, they all speak of Yarni Zai. + +Unheard is the speaking of the gods to all except the gods, but the men +of Yarnith tell of how their prophet Iraun lying in the sand desert, +Azrakhan, heard once their speaking and knew thereby how Yarni Zai +departed from all the other gods to clothe himself with rocks and make +a world. + +Certain it is that every legend tells that at the end of the valley of +Yodeth, where it becomes lost among black cliffs, there sits a figure +colossal, against a mountain, whose form is the form of a man with the +right hand uplifted, but vaster than the hills. And in the Book of +Secret Things which the prophets keep in the Temple that stands in +Yarnith is writ the story of the gathering of the world as Iraun heard +it when the gods spake together, up in the stillness above Azrakhan. + +And all that read this may learn how Yarni Zai drew the mountains about +him like a cloak, and piled the world below him. It is not set in +writing for how many years Yarni Zai sat clothed with rocks at the end +of the Valley of Yodeth, while there was nought in all the world save +rocks and Yarni Zai. + +But one day there came another god running over the rocks across the +world, and he ran as the clouds run upon days of storm, and as he sped +towards Yodeth, Yarni Zai, sitting against his mountain with right hand +uplifted, cried out: + +“What dost thou, running across my world, and whither art thou going?” + +And the new god answered never a word, but sped onwards, and as he went +to left of him and to right of him there sprang up green things all +over the rocks of the world of Yarni Zai. + +So the new god ran round the world and made it green, saying in the +valley where Yarni Zai sat monstrous against his mountain and certain +lands wherein Cradoa, the drought, browsed horribly at night. + +Further, the writing in the book tells of how there came yet another +god running speedily out of the east, as swiftly as the first, with his +face set westward, and nought to stay his running; and how he stretched +both arms outward beside him, and to left of him and to right of him as +he ran the whole world whitened. + +And Yarni Zai called out: + +“What dost thou, running across my world?” + +And the new god answered: + +“I bring the snow for all the world—whiteness and resting and +stillness.” + +And he stilled the running of streams and laid his hand even upon the +head of Yarni Zai and muffled the noises of the world, till there was +no sound in all lands, but the running of the new god that brought the +snow as he sped across the plains. + +But the two new gods chased each other for ever round the world, and +every year they passed again, running down the valleys and up the hills +and away across the plains before Yarni Zai, whose hand uplifted had +gathered the world about him. + +And, furthermore, the very devout may read how all the animals came up +the valley of Yodeth to the mountain whereon rested Yarni Zai, saying: + +“Give us leave to live, to be lions, rhinoceroses and rabbits, and to +go about the world.” + +And Yarni Zai gave leave to the animals to be lions, rhinoceroses and +rabbits, and all the other kinds of beasts, and to go about the world. +But when they all had gone he gave leave to the bird to be a bird and +to go about the sky. + +And further there came a man into that valley who said: + +“Yarni Zai, thou hast made animals into thy world. O Yarni Zai, ordain +that there be men.” + +So Yarni Zai made men. + +Then was there in the world Yarni Zai, and two strange gods that +brought the greenness and the growing and the whiteness and the +stillness, and animals and men. + +And the god of the greenness pursued the god of the whiteness, and the +god of the whiteness pursued the god of the greenness, and men pursued +animals, and animals pursued men. But Yarni Zai sat still against his +mountain with his right hand uplifted. But the men of Yarnith say that +when the arm of Yarni Zai shall cease to be uplifted the world shall be +flung behind him, as a man’s cloak is flung away. And Yarni Zai, no +longer clad with the world, shall go back into the emptiness beneath +the Dome among the stars, as a diver seeking pearls goes down from the +islands. + +It is writ in Yarnith’s histories by scribes of old that there passed a +year over the valley of Yarnith that bore not with it any rain; and the +Famine from the wastes beyond, finding that it was dry and pleasant in +Yarnith, crept over the mountains and down their slopes and sunned +himself at the edge of Yarnith’s fields. + +And men of Yarnith, labouring in the fields, found the Famine as he +nibbled at the corn and chased the cattle, and hastily they drew water +from deep wells and cast it over the Famine’s dry grey fur and drove +him back to the mountains. But the next day when his fur was dry again +the Famine returned and nibbled more of the corn and chased the cattle +further, and again men drove him back. But again the Famine returned, +and there came a time when there was no more water in the wells to +frighten the Famine with, and he nibbled the corn till all of it was +gone and the cattle that he chased grew very lean. And the Famine drew +nearer, even to the houses of men and trampled on their gardens at +night and ever came creeping nearer to their doors. At last the cattle +were able to run no more, and one by one the Famine took them by their +throats and dragged them down, and at night he scratched in the ground, +killing even the roots of things, and came and peered in at the +doorways and started back and peered in at the door again a little +further, but yet was not bold enough to enter altogether, for fear that +men should have water to throw over his dry grey fur. + +Then did the men of Yarnith pray to Yarni Zai as he sat far off beyond +the valley, praying to him night and day to call his Famine back, but +the Famine sat and purred and slew all the cattle and dared at last to +take men for his food. + +And the histories tell how he slew children first and afterwards grew +bolder and tore down women, till at last he even sprang at the throats +of men as they laboured in the fields. + +Then said the men of Yarnith: + +“There must go one to take our prayers to the feet of Yarni Zai; for +the world at evening utters many prayers, and it may be that Yarni Zai, +as he hears all earth lamenting when the prayers at evening flutter to +his feet, may have missed among so many the prayers of the men of +Yarnith. But if one go and say to Yarni Zai: ‘There is a little crease +in the outer skirts of thy cloak that men call the valley of Yarnith, +where the Famine is a greater lord than Yarni Zai,’ it may be that he +shall remember for an instant and call his Famine back.” + +Yet all men feared to go, seeing that they were but men and Yarni Zai +was Lord of the whole earth, and the journey was far and rocky. But +that night Hothrun Dath heard the Famine whining outside his house and +pawing at his door; therefore, it seemed to him more meet to wither +before the glance of Yarni Zai than that the whining of that Famine +should ever again fall upon his ears. + +So about the dawn, Hothrun Dath crept away, fearing still to hear +behind him the breathing of the Famine, and set out upon his journey +whither pointed the graves of men. For men in Yarnith are buried with +their feet and faces turned toward Yarni Zai, lest he might beckon to +them in their night and call them to him. + +So all day long did Hothrun Dath follow the way of the graves. It is +told that he even journeyed for three days and nights with nought but +the graves to guide him, as they pointed towards Yarni Zai where all +the world slopes upwards towards Yodeth, and the great black rocks that +are nearest to Yarni Zai lie gathered together by clans, till he came +to the two great black pillars of asdarinth and saw the rocks beyond +them piled in a dark valley, narrow and aloof, and knew that this was +Yodeth. Then did he haste no more, but walked quietly up the valley, +daring not to disturb the stillness, for he said: + +“Surely this is the stillness of Yarni Zai, which lay about him before +he clothed himself with rocks.” + + +[Illustration: Departure of Hothrun Dath] + + +Here among the rocks which first had gathered to the call of Yarni Zai, +Hothrun Dath felt a mighty fear, but yet went onwards because of all +his people and because he knew that thrice in every hour in some dark +chamber Death and Famine met to speak two words together, “The End.” + +But as dawn turned the darkness into grey, he came to the valley’s end, +and even touched the foot of Yarni Zai, but saw him not, for he was all +hidden in the mist. Then Hothrun Dath feared that he might not behold +him to look him in the eyes when he sent up his prayer. But laying his +forehead against the foot of Yarni Zai he prayed for the men of +Yarnith, saying: + +“O Lord of Famine and Father of Death, there is a spot in the world +that thou hast cast about thee which men call Yarnith, and there men +die before the time thou hast apportioned, passing out of Yarnith. +Perchance the Famine hath rebelled against thee, or Death exceeds his +powers. O Master of the World, drive out the Famine as a moth out of +thy cloak, lest the gods beyond that regard thee with their eyes +say—there is Yarni Zai, and lo! his cloak is tattered.” + +And in the mist no sign made Yarni Zai. Then did Hothrun Dath pray to +Yarni Zai to make some sign with his uplifted hand that he might know +he heard him. In the awe and silence he waited, until nigh the dawn the +mist that hid the figure rolled upwards. Serene above the mountains he +brooded over the world, silent, with right hand uplifted. + +What Hothrun Dath saw there upon the face of Yarni Zai no history +telleth, or how he came again alive to Yarnith, but this is writ that +he fled, and none hath since beheld the face of Yarni Zai. Some say +that he saw a look on the face of the image that set a horror tingling +through his soul, but it is held in Yarnith that he found the marks of +instruments of carving about the figure’s feet, and discerning thereby +that Yarni Zai was wrought by the hands of men, he fled down the valley +screaming: + +“There are no gods, and all the world is lost.” And hope departed from +him and all the purposes of life. Motionless behind him, lit by the +rising sun, sat the colossal figure with right hand uplifted that man +had made in his own image. + +But the men of Yarnith tell how Hothrun Dath came back again panting to +his own city, and told the people that there were no gods and that +Yarnith had no hope from Yarni Zai. Then the men of Yarnith when they +knew that the Famine came not from the gods, arose and strove against +him. They dug deep for wells, and slew goats for food high up on +Yarnith’s mountains and went afar and gathered blades of grass, where +yet it grew, that their cattle might live. Thus they fought the Famine, +for they said: “If Yarni Zai be not a god, then is there nothing +mightier in Yarnith than men, and who is the Famine that he should bare +his teeth against the lords of Yarnith?” + +And they said: “If no help cometh from Yarni Zai then is there no help +but from our own strength and might, and we be Yarnith’s gods with the +saving of Yarnith burning within us or its doom according to our +desire.” + +And some more the Famine slew, but others raised their hands saying: +“These be the hands of gods,” and drave the Famine back till he went +from the houses of men and out among the cattle, and still the men of +Yarnith pursued him, till above the heat of the fight came the million +whispers of rain heard faintly far off towards evening. Then the Famine +fled away howling back to the mountains and over the mountains’ crests, +and became no more than a thing that is told in Yarnith’s legends. + +A thousand years have passed across the graves of those that fell in +Yarnith by the Famine. But the men of Yarnith still pray to Yarni Zai, +carved by men’s hands in the likeness of a man, for they say—“It may be +that the prayers we offer to Yarni Zai may roll upwards from his image +as do the mists at dawn, and somewhere find at last the other gods or +that God who sits behind the others of whom our prophets know not.” + + + + +FOR THE HONOUR OF THE GODS + + +Of the great wars of the Three Islands are many histories writ and of +how the heroes of the olden time one by one were slain, but nought is +told of the days before the olden time, or ever the people of the isles +went forth to war, when each in his own land tended cattle or sheep, +and listless peace obscured those isles in the days before the olden +time. For then the people of the Islands played like children about the +feet of Chance and had no gods and went not forth to war. But sailors, +cast by strange winds upon those shores which they named the Prosperous +Isles, and finding a happy people which had no gods, told how they +should be happier still and know the gods and fight for the honour of +the gods and leave their names writ large in histories and at the last +die proclaiming the names of the gods. And the people of the islands +met and said: + +“The beasts we know, but lo! these sailors tell of things beyond that +know us as we know the beasts and use us for their pleasure as we use +the beasts, but yet are apt to answer idle prayer flung up at evening +near the hearth, when a man returneth from the ploughing of the fields. +Shall we now seek these gods?” And some said: + +“We are lords of the Three Islands and have none to trouble us, and +while we live we find prosperity, and when we die our bones have ease +in the quiet. Let us not therefore seek those who may loom greater than +we do in the Islands Three or haply harry our bones when we be dead.” + +But others said: + +“The prayers that a man mutters, when the drought hath come and all the +cattle die, go up unheeded to the heedless clouds, and if somewhere +there be those that garner prayer let us send men to seek them and to +say: ‘There be men in the Isles called Three, or sometimes named by +sailors the Prosperous Isles (and they be in the Central Sea), who +ofttimes pray, and it hath been told us that ye love the worship of +men, and for it answer prayer, and we be travellers from the Islands +Three.’” + +And the people of the Islands were greatly allured by the thought of +strange things neither men nor beasts who at evening answered prayer. + +Therefore they sent men down in ships with sails to sail across the +sea, and in safety over the sea to a far shore Chance brought the +ships. Then over hill and valley three men set forth seeking to find +the gods, and their comrades beached the ships and waited on the shore. +And they that sought the gods followed for thirty nights the lightnings +in the sky over five mountains, and as they came to the summit of the +last, they saw a valley beneath them, and lo! the gods. For there the +gods sat, each on a marble hill, each sitting with an elbow on his +knee, and his chin upon his hand, and all the gods were smiling about +Their lips. And below them there were armies of little men, and about +the feet of the gods they fought against each other and slew one +another for the honour of the gods, and for the glory of the name of +the gods. And round them in the valley their cities that they had +builded with the toil of their hands, they burned for the honour of the +gods, where they died for the honour of the gods, and the gods looked +down and smiled. And up from the valley fluttered the prayers of men +and here and there the gods did answer a prayer, but oftentimes They +mocked them, and all the while men died. + +And they that had sought the gods from the Islands Three, having seen +what they had seen, lay down on the mountain summit lest the gods +should see them. Then they crept backward a little space, still lying +down, and whispered together and then stooped low and ran, and +travelled across the mountains in twenty days and came again to their +comrades by the shore. But their comrades asked them if their quest had +failed and the three men only answered: + +“We have seen the gods.” + + +[Illustration: Lo! The Gods] + + +And setting sail the ships hove back across the Central Sea and came +again to the Islands Three, where rest the feet of Chance, and said to +the people: + +“We have seen the gods.” + +But to the rulers of the Islands they told how the gods drove men in +herds; and went back and tended their flocks again all in the +Prosperous Isles, and were kinder to their cattle after they had seen +how that the gods used men. + +But the gods walking large about Their valley, and peering over the +great mountain’s rim, saw one morning the tracks of the three men. Then +the gods bent their faces low over the tracks and leaning forward ran, +and came before the evening of the day to the shore where the men had +set sail in ships, and saw the tracks of ships upon the sand, and waded +far out into the sea, and yet saw nought. Still it had been well for +the Islands Three had not certain men that had heard the travellers’ +tale sought also to see the gods themselves. These in the night-time +slipped away from the Isles in ships, and ere the gods had retreated to +the hills, They saw where ocean meets with sky the full white sails of +those that sought the gods upon an evil day. Then for a while the +people of those gods had rest while the gods lurked behind the +mountain, waiting for the travellers from the Prosperous Isles. But the +travellers came to shore and beached their ships, and sent six of their +number to the mountain whereof they had been told. But they after many +days returned, having not seen the gods but only the smoke that went +upward from burned cities, and vultures that stood in the sky instead +of answered prayer. And they all ran down their ships again into the +sea, and set sail again and came to the Prosperous Isles. But in the +distance crouching behind the ships the gods came wading through the +sea that They might have the worship of the isles. And to every isle of +the three the gods showed themselves in different garb and guise, and +to all they said: + +“Leave your flocks. Go forth and fight for the honour of the gods.” + +And from one of the isles all the folk came forth in ships to battle +for gods that strode through the isle like kings. And from another they +came to fight for gods that walked like humble men upon the earth in +beggars’ rags; and the people of the other isle fought for the honour +of gods that were clothed in hair like beasts; and had many gleaming +eyes and claws upon their foreheads. But of how these people fought +till the isles grew desolate but very glorious, and all for the fame of +the gods, are many histories writ. + + + + +NIGHT AND MORNING + + +Once in an arbour of the gods above the fields of twilight Night +wandering alone came suddenly on Morning. Then Night drew from his face +his cloak of dark grey mists and said: “See, I am Night,” and they two +sitting in that arbour of the gods, Night told wondrous stories of old +mysterious happenings in the dark. And Morning sat and wondered, gazing +into the face of Night and at his wreath of stars. And Morning told how +the rains of Snamarthis smoked in the plain, but Night told how +Snamarthis held riot in the dark, with revelry and drinking and tales +told by kings, till all the hosts of Meenath crept against it and the +lights went out and there arose the din of arms or ever Morning came. +And Night told how Sindana the beggar had dreamed that he was a King, +and Morning told how she had seen Sindana find suddenly an army in the +plain, and how he had gone to it thinking he was King and the army had +believed him, and Sindana now ruled over Marthis and Targadrides, +Dynath, Zahn, and Tumeida. And most Night loved to tell of Assarnees, +whose ruins are scant memories on the desert’s edge, but Morning told +of the twin cities of Nardis and Timaut that lorded over the plain. And +Night told terribly of what Mynandes found when he walked through his +own city in the dark. And ever at the elbow of regal Night whispers +arose saying: “Tell Morning _this_.” + +And ever Night told and ever Morning wondered. And Night spake on, and +told what the dead had done when they came in the darkness on the King +that had led them into battle once. And Night knew who slew Darnex and +how it was done. Moreover, he told why the seven Kings tortured +Sydatheris and what Sydatheris said just at the last, and how the Kings +went forth and took their lives. + +And Night told whose blood had stained the marble steps that lead to +the temple in Ozahn, and why the skull within it wears a golden crown, +and whose soul is in the wolf that howls in the dark against the city. +And Night knew whither the tigers go out of the Irasian desert and the +place where they meet together, and who speaks to them and what she +says and why. And he told why human teeth had bitten the iron hinge in +the great gate that swings in the walls of Mondas, and who came up out +of the marsh alone in the darktime and demanded audience of the King +and told the King a lie, and how the King, believing it, went down into +the vaults of his palace and found only toads and snakes, who slew the +King. And he told of ventures in palace towers in the quiet, and knew +the spell whereby a man might send the light of the moon right into the +soul of his foe. And Night spoke of the forest and the stirring of +shadows and soft feet pattering and peering eyes, and of the fear that +sits behind the trees taking to itself the shape of something crouched +to spring. + +But far under that arbour of the gods down on the earth the mountain +peak Mondana looked Morning in the eyes and forsook his allegiance to +Night, and one by one the lesser hills about Mondana’s knees greeted +the Morning. And all the while in the plains the shapes of cities came +looming out of the dusk. And Kongros stood forth with all her +pinnacles, and the winged figure of Poesy carved upon the eastern +portal of her gate, and the squat figure of Avarice carved facing it +upon the west; and the bat began to tire of going up and down her +streets, and already the owl was home. And the dark lions went up out +of the plain back to their caves again. Not as yet shone any dew upon +the spider’s snare nor came the sound of any insects stirring or bird +of the day, and full allegiance all the valleys owned still to their +Lord the Night. Yet earth was preparing for another ruler, and kingdom +by kingdom she stole away from Night, and there marched through the +dreams of men a million heralds that cried with the voice of the cock: +“Lo! Morning come behind us.” But in that arbour of the gods above the +fields of twilight the star wreath was paling about the head of Night, +and ever more wonderful on Morning’s brow appeared the mark of power. +And at the moment when the camp fires pale and the smoke goes grey to +the sky, and camels sniff the dawn, suddenly Morning forgot Night. And +out of that arbour of the gods, and away to the haunts of the dark, +Night with his swart cloak slunk away; and Morning placed her hand upon +the mists and drew them upward and revealed the earth, and drove the +shadows before her, and they followed Night. And suddenly the mystery +quitted haunting shapes, and an old glamour was gone, and far and wide +over the fields of earth a new splendour arose. + + + + +USURY + + +The men of Zonu hold that Yahn is God, who sits as a usurer behind a +heap of little lustrous gems and ever clutches at them with both his +arms. Scarce larger than a drop of water are the gleaming jewels that +lie under the grasping talons of Yahn, and every jewel is a life. Men +tell in Zonu that the earth was empty when Yahn devised his plan, and +on it no life stirred. Then Yahn lured to him shadows whose home was +beyond the Rim, who knew little of joys and nought of any sorrow, whose +place was beyond the Rim before the birth of Time. These Yahn lured to +him and showed them his heap of gems; and in the jewels there was +light, and green fields glistened in them, and there were glimpses of +blue sky and little streams, and very faintly little gardens showed +that flowered in orchard lands. And some showed winds in the heaven, +and some showed the arch of the sky with a waste plain drawn across it, +with grasses bent in the wind and never aught but the plain. But the +gems that changed the most had in their centre the ever changing sea. +Then the shadows gazed into the Lives and saw the green fields and the +sea and earth and the gardens of earth. And Yahn said: “I will loan you +each a Life, and you may do your work with it upon the Scheme of +Things, and have each a shadow for his servant in green fields and in +gardens, only for these things you shall polish these Lives with +experience and cut their edges with your griefs, and in the end shall +return them again to me.” + +And thereto the shadows consented, that they might have gleaming Lives +and have shadows for their servants, and this thing became the Law. But +the shadows, each with his Life, departed and came to Zonu and to other +lands, and there with experience they polished the Lives of Yahn, and +cut them with human griefs until they gleamed anew. And ever they found +new scenes to gleam within these Lives, and cities and sails and men +shone in them where there had been before only green fields and sea, +and ever Yahn the usurer cried out to remind them of their bargain. +When men added to their Lives scenes that were pleasant to Yahn, then +was Yahn silent, but when they added scenes that pleased not the eyes +of Yahn, then did he take a toll of sorrow from them because it was the +Law. + +But men forgot the usurer, and there arose some claiming to be wise in +the Law, who said that after their labour, which they wrought upon +their Lives, was done, those Lives should be theirs to possess; so men +took comfort from their toil and labour and the grinding and cutting of +their griefs. But as their Lives began to shine with experience of many +things, the thumb and forefinger of Yahn would suddenly close upon a +Life, and the man became a shadow. But away beyond the Rim the shadows +say: + +“We have greatly laboured for Yahn, and have gathered griefs in the +world, and caused his Lives to shine, and Yahn doeth nought for us. Far +better had we stayed where no cares are, floating beyond the Rim.” + +And there the shadows fear lest ever again they be lured by specious +promises to suffer usury at the hands of Yahn, who is overskilled in +Law. Only Yahn sits and smiles, watching his hoard increase in +preciousness, and hath no pity for the poor shadows whom he hath lured +from their quiet to toil in the form of men. + +And ever Yahn lures more shadows and sends them to brighten his Lives, +sending the old Lives out again to make them brighter still; and +sometimes he gives to a shadow a Life that was once a king’s and +sendeth him with it down to the earth to play the part of a beggar, or +sometimes he sendeth a beggar’s Life to play the part of a king. What +careth Yahn? + +The men of Zonu have been promised by those that claim to be wise in +the Law that their Lives which they have toiled at shall be theirs to +possess for ever, yet the men of Zonu fear that Yahn is greater and +overskilled in the Law. Moreover it hath been said that Time will bring +the hour when the wealth of Yahn shall be such as his dreams have +lusted for. Then shall Yahn leave the earth at rest and trouble the +shadows no more, but sit and gloat with his unseemly face over his +hoard of Lives, for his soul is a usurer’s soul. But others say, and +they swear that this is true, that there are gods of Old, who be far +greater than Yahn, who made the Law wherein Yahn is overskilled, and +who will one day drive a bargain with him that shall be too hard for +Yahn. Then Yahn shall wander away, a mean forgotten god, and perchance +in some forsaken land shall haggle with the rain for a drop of water to +drink, for his soul is a usurer’s soul. And the Lives—who knoweth the +gods of Old or what Their will shall be? + + +[Illustration: The Opulence of Yahn] + + + + +MLIDEEN + + +Upon an evening of the forgotten years the gods were seated upon Mowrah +Nawut above Mlideen holding the avalanche in leash. + +All in the Middle City stood the Temples of the city’s priests, and +hither came all the people of Mlideen to bring them gifts, and there it +was the wont of the City’s priests to carve them gods for Mlideen. For +in a room apart in the Temple of Eld in the midst of the temples that +stood in the Middle City of Mlideen there lay a book called the Book of +Beautiful Devices, writ in a language that no man may read and writ +long ago, telling how a man may make for himself gods that shall +neither rage nor seek revenge against a little people. And ever the +priests came forth from reading in the Book of Beautiful Devices and +ever they sought to make benignant gods, and all the gods that they +made were different from each other, only their eyes turned all upon +Mlideen. + +But upon Mowrah Nawut for all of the forgotten years the gods had +waited and forborne until the people of Mlideen should have carven one +hundred gods. Never came lightnings from Mowrah Nawut crashing upon +Mlideen, nor blight on harvests nor pestilence in the city, only upon +Mowrah Nawut the gods sat and smiled. The people of Mlideen had said: +“Yoma is god.” And the gods sat and smiled. And after the forgetting of +Yoma and the passing of years the people had said: “Zungari is god.” +And the gods sat and smiled. + +Then on the altar of Zungari a priest had set a figure squat, carven in +purple agate, saying: “Yazun is god.” Still the gods sat and smiled. + + +[Illustration: “Yazun is god.”] + + +About the feet of Yonu, Bazun, Nidish and Sundrao had gone the worship +of the people of Mlideen, and still the gods sat holding the avalanche +in leash above the city. + +There set a great calm towards sunset over the heights, and Mowrah +Nawut stood up still with gleaming snow, and into the hot city cool +breezes blew from his benignant slopes as Tarsi Zalo, high prophet of +Mlideen, carved out of a great sapphire the city’s hundredth god, and +then upon Mowrah Nawut the gods turned away saying: “One hundred +infamies have now been wrought.” And they looked no longer upon Mlideen +and held the avalanche no more in leash, and he leapt forward howling. + +Over the Middle City of Mlideen now lies a mass of rocks, and on the +rocks a new city is builded wherein people dwell who know not old +Mlideen, and the gods are seated on Mowrah Nawut still. And in the new +city men worship carven gods, and the number of the gods that they have +carven is ninety and nine, and I, the prophet, have found a curious +stone and go to carve it into the likeness of a god for all Mlideen to +worship. + + + + +THE SECRET OF THE GODS + + +Zyni Moe, the small snake, saw the cool river gleaming before him afar +off and set out over the burning sand to reach it. + +Uldoon, the prophet, came out of the desert and followed up the bank of +the river towards his old home. Thirty years since Uldoon had left the +city, where he was born, to live his life in a silent place where he +might search for the secret of the gods. The name of his home was the +City by the River, and in that city many prophets taught concerning +many gods, and men made many secrets for themselves, but all the while +none knew the Secret of the gods. Nor might any seek to find it, for if +any sought men said of him: + +“This man sins, for he giveth no worship to the gods that speak to our +prophets by starlight when none heareth.” + +And Uldoon perceived that the mind of a man is as a garden, and that +his thoughts are as the flowers, and the prophets of a man’s city are +as many gardeners who weed and trim, and who have made in the garden +paths both smooth and straight, and only along these paths is a man’s +soul permitted to go lest the gardeners say, “This soul transgresseth.” +And from the paths the gardeners weed out every flower that grows, and +in the garden they cut off all flowers that grow tall, saying: + +“It is customary,” and “it is written,” and “this hath ever been,” or +“that hath not been before.” + +Therefore Uldoon saw that not in that city might he discover the Secret +of the gods. And Uldoon said to the people: + +“When the worlds began, the Secret of the gods lay written clear over +the whole earth, but the feet of many prophets have trampled it out. +Your prophets are all true men, but I go into the desert to find a +truth which is truer than your prophets.” Therefore Uldoon went into +the desert and in storm and still he sought for many years. When the +thunder roared over the mountains that limited the desert he sought the +Secret in the thunder, but the gods spake not by the thunder. When the +voices of the beasts disturbed the stillness under the stars he sought +the secret there, but the gods spake not by the beasts. + +Uldoon grew old and all the voices of the desert had spoken to Uldoon, +but not the gods, when one night he heard Them whispering beyond the +hills. And the gods whispered one to another, and turning Their faces +earthward They all wept. And Uldoon though he saw not the gods yet saw +Their shadows turn as They went back to a great hollow in the hills; +and there, all standing in the valley’s mouth, They said: + +“Oh, Morning Zai, oh, oldest of the gods, the faith of thee is gone, +and yesterday for the last time thy name was spoken upon earth.” And +turning earthward they all wept again. And the gods tore white clouds +out of the sky and draped them about the body of Morning Zai and bore +him forth from his valley behind the hills, and muffled the mountain +peaks with snow, and beat upon their summits with drum sticks carved of +ebony, playing the dirge of the gods. And the echoes rolled about the +passes and the winds howled, because the faith of the olden days was +gone, and with it had sped the soul of Morning Zai. So through the +mountain passes the gods came at night bearing Their dead father. And +Uldoon followed. And the gods came to a great sepulchre of onyx that +stood upon four fluted pillars of white marble, each carved out of four +mountains, and therein the gods laid Morning Zai because the old faith +was fallen. And there at the tomb of Their father the gods spake and +Uldoon heard the Secret of the gods, and it became to him a simple +thing such as a man might well guess—yet hath not. Then the soul of the +desert arose and cast over the tomb its wreath of forgetfulness devised +of drifting sand, and the gods strode home across the mountains to +Their hollow land. But Uldoon left the desert and travelled many days, +and so came to the river where it passes beyond the city to seek the +sea, and following its bank came near to his old home. And the people +of the City by the River, seeing him far off, cried out: + +“Hast thou found the Secret of the gods?” + +And he answered: + +“I have found it, and the Secret of the gods is this”—: + +Zyni Moe, the small snake, seeing the figure and the shadow of a man +between him and the cool river, raised his head and struck once. And +the gods are pleased with Zyni Moe, and have called him the protector +of the Secret of the gods. + + +[Illustration: The Tomb of Morning Zai.] + + + + +THE SOUTH WIND + + +Two players sat down to play a game together to while eternity away, +and they chose the gods as pieces wherewith to play their game, and for +their board of playing they chose the sky from rim to rim, whereon lay +a little dust; and every speck of dust was a world upon the board of +playing. And the players were robed and their faces veiled, and the +robes and veils were alike, and their names were Fate and Chance. And +as they played their game and moved the gods hither and thither about +the board, the dust arose, and shone in the light from the players’ +eyes that gleamed behind the veils. Then said the gods: “See how We +stir the dust.” + +It chanced, or was ordained (who knoweth which?) that Ord, a prophet, +one night saw the gods as They strode knee deep among the stars. But as +he gave Them worship, he saw the hand of a player, enormous over Their +heads, stretched out to make his move. Then Ord, the prophet, knew. Had +he been silent it might have still been well with Ord, but Ord went +about the world crying out to all men, “There is a power over the +gods.” + +This the gods heard. Then said They, “Ord hath seen.” + +Terrible is the vengeance of the gods, and fierce were Their eyes when +They looked on the head of Ord and snatched out of his mind all +knowledge of Themselves. And that man’s soul went wandering afield to +find for itself gods, for ever finding them not. Then out of Ord’s +Dream of Life the gods plucked the moon and the stars, and in the +night-time he only saw black sky and saw the lights no more. Next the +gods took from him, for Their vengeance resteth not, the birds and +butterflies, flowers and leaves and insects and all small things, and +the prophet looked on the world that was strangely altered, yet knew +not of the anger of the gods. Then the gods sent away his familiar +hills, to be seen no more by him, and all the pleasant woodlands on +their summits and the further fields; and in a narrower world Ord +walked round and round, now seeing little, and his soul still wandered +searching for some gods and finding none. + +Lastly, the gods took away the fields and stream and left to the +prophet only his house and the larger things that were in it. Day by +day They crept about him drawing films of mist between him and familiar +things, till at last he beheld nought at all and was quite blind and +unaware of the anger of the gods. Then Ord’s world became only a world +of sound, and only by hearing he kept his hold upon Things. All the +profit that he had out of his days was here some song from the hills or +there the voice of the birds, and sound of the stream, or the drip of +the falling rain. But the anger of the gods ceases not with the closing +of flowers, nor is it assuaged by all the winter’s snows, nor doth it +rest in the full glare of summer, and They snatched away from Ord one +night his world of sound and he awoke deaf. But as a man may smite away +the hive of the bee, and the bee with all his fellows builds again, +knowing not what hath smitten his hive or that it shall smite again, so +Ord built for himself a world out of old memories and set it in the +past. There he builded himself cities out of former joys, and therein +built palaces of mighty things achieved, and with his memory as a key +he opened golden locks and had still a world to live in, though the +gods had taken from him the world of sound and all the world of sight. +But the gods tire not from pursuing, and They seized his world of +former things and took his memory away and covered up the paths that +led into the past, and left him blind and deaf and forgetful among men, +and caused all men to know that this was he who once had said that the +gods were little things. + +And lastly the gods took his soul, and out of it They fashioned the +South Wind to roam the seas for ever and not have rest; and well the +South Wind knows that he hath once understood somewhere and long ago, +and so he moans to the islands and cries along southern shores, “I have +known,” and “I have known.” + +But all things sleep when the South Wind speaks to them and none heed +his cry that he hath known, but are rather content to sleep. But still +the South Wind, knowing that there is something that he hath forgot, +goes on crying, “I have known,” seeking to urge men to arise and to +discover it. But none heed the sorrows of the South Wind even when he +driveth his tears out of the South, so that though the South Wind cries +on and on and never findeth rest none heed that there is aught that may +be known, and the Secret of the gods is safe. But the business of the +South Wind is with the North, and it is said that the time will one day +come when he shall overcome the bergs and sink the seas of ice and come +where the Secret of the gods is graven upon the pole. And the game of +Fate and Chance shall suddenly cease and He that loses shall cease to +be or ever to have been, and from the board of playing Fate or Chance +(who knoweth which shall win?) shall sweep the gods away. + + + + +IN THE LAND OF TIME + + +Thus Karnith, King of Alatta, spake to his eldest son: “I bequeath to +thee my city of Zoon, with its golden eaves, whereunder hum the bees. +And I bequeath to thee also the land of Alatta, and all such other +lands as thou art worthy to possess, for my three strong armies which I +leave thee may well take Zindara and over-run Istahn, and drive back +Onin from his frontier, and leaguer the walls of Yan, and beyond that +spread conquest over the lesser lands of Hebith, Ebnon, and Karida. +Only lead not thine armies against Zeenar, nor ever cross the Eidis.” + +Thereat in the city of Zoon in the land of Alatta, under his golden +eaves, died King Karnith, and his soul went whither had gone the souls +of his sires the elder Kings, and the souls of their slaves. + +Then Karnith Zo, the new King, took the iron crown of Alatta and +afterwards went down to the plains that encircle Zoon and found his +three strong armies clamouring to be led against Zeenar, over the river +Eidis. + +But the new King came back from his armies, and all one night in the +great palace alone with his iron crown, pondered long upon war; and a +little before dawn he saw dimly through his palace window, facing east +over the city of Zoon and across the fields of Alatta, to far off where +a valley opened on Istahn. There, as he pondered, he saw the smoke +arising tall and straight over small houses in the plain and the fields +where the sheep fed. Later the sun rose shining over Alatta as it shone +over Istahn, and there arose a stir about the houses both in Alatta and +Istahn, and cocks crowed in the city and men went out into the fields +among the bleating sheep; and the King wondered if men did otherwise in +Istahn. And men and women met as they went out to work and the sound of +laughter arose from streets and fields; the King’s eyes gazed into the +distance toward Istahn and still the smoke went upward tall and +straight from the small houses. And the sun rose higher that shone upon +Alatta and Istahn, causing the flowers to open wide in each, and the +birds to sing and the voices of men and women to arise. And in the +market place of Zoon caravans were astir that set out to carry +merchandise to Istahn, and afterwards passed camels coming to Alatta +with many tinkling bells. All this the King saw as he pondered much, +who had not pondered before. Westward the Agnid mountains frowned in +the distance guarding the river Eidis; behind them the fierce people of +Zeenar lived in a bleak land. + +Later the King, going abroad through his new kingdom, came on the +Temple of the gods of Old. There he found the roof shattered and the +marble columns broken and tall weeds met together in the inner shrine, +and the gods of Old, bereft of worship or sacrifice, neglected and +forgotten. And the King asked of his councillors who it was that had +overturned this temple of the gods or caused the gods Themselves to be +thus forsaken. And they answered him: + +“Time has done this.” + +Next the King came upon a man bent and crippled, whose face was +furrowed and worn, and the King having seen no such sight within the +court of his father said to the man: + +“Who hath done this thing to you?” + +And the old man answered: + +“Time hath ruthlessly done it.” + +But the King and his councillors went on, and next they came upon a +body of men carrying among them a hearse. And the King asked his +councillors closely concerning death, for these things had not before +been expounded to the King. And the oldest of the councillors answered: + +“Death, O King, is a gift sent by the gods by the hand of their servant +Time, and some receive it gladly, and some are forced reluctantly to +take it, and before others it is suddenly flung in the middle of the +day. And with this gift that Time hath brought him from the gods a man +must go forth into the dark to possess no other thing for so long as +the gods are willing.” + +But the King went back to his palace and gathered the greatest of his +prophets and his councillors and asked them more particularly +concerning Time. And they told the King how that Time was a great +figure standing like a tall shadow in the dusk or striding, unseen, +across the world, and how that he was the slave of the gods and did +Their bidding, but ever chose new masters, and how all the former +masters of Time were dead and Their shrines forgotten. And one said: + +“I have seen him once when I went down to play again in the garden of +my childhood because of certain memories. And it was towards evening +and the light was pale, and I saw Time standing over the little gate, +pale like the light, and he stood between me and that garden and had +stolen my memories because he was mightier than I.” + +And another said: + +“I, too, have seen the Enemy of my House. For I saw him when he strode +over the fields that I knew well and led a stranger by the hand to +place him in my home to sit where my forefathers sat. And I saw him +afterwards walk thrice round the house and stoop and gather up the +glamour from the lawns and brush aside the tall poppies in the garden +and spread weeds in his pathway where he strode through the remembered +nooks.” + +And another said: + +“He went one day into the desert and brought up life out of the waste +places, and made it cry bitterly and covered it with the desert again.” + +And another said: + +“I too saw him once seated in the garden of a child tearing the +flowers, and afterwards he went away through many woodlands and stooped +down as he went, and picked the leaves one by one from the trees.” + +And another said: + +“I saw him once by moonlight standing tall and black amidst the ruins +of a shrine in the old kingdom of Amarna, doing a deed by night. And he +wore a look on his face such as murderers wear as he busied himself to +cover over something with weeds and dust. Thereafter in Amarna the +people of that old Kingdom missed their god, in whose shrine I saw Time +crouching in the night, and they have not since beheld him.” + +And all the while from the distance at the city’s edge rose a hum from +the three armies of the King clamouring to be led against Zeenar. +Thereat the King went down to his three armies and speaking to their +chiefs said: + +“I will not go down clad with murder to be King over other lands. I +have seen the same morning arising on Istahn that also gladdened +Alatta, and have heard Peace lowing among the flowers. I will not +desolate homes to rule over an orphaned land and a land widowed. But I +will lead you against the pledged enemy of Alatta who shall crumble the +towers of Zoon and hath gone far to overthrow our gods. He is the foe +of Zindara and Istahn and many-citadeled Yan, Hebith and Ebnon may not +overcome him nor Karida be safe against him among her bleakest +mountains. He is a foe mightier than Zeenar with frontiers stronger +than Eidis; he leers at all the peoples of the earth and mocks their +gods and covets their builded cities. Therefore we will go forth and +conquer Time and save the gods of Alatta from his clutch, and coming +back victorious shall find that Death is gone and age and illness +departed, and here we shall live for ever by the golden eaves of Zoon, +while the bees hum among unrusted gables and never crumbling towers. +There shall be neither fading nor forgetting, nor ever dying nor +sorrow, when we shall have freed the people and pleasant fields of the +earth from inexorable Time.” + +And the armies swore that they would follow the King to save the world +and the gods. + +So the next day the King set forth with his three armies and crossed +many rivers and marched through many lands, and wherever they went they +asked for news of Time. + +And the first day they met a woman with her face furrowed and lined, +who told them that she had been beautiful and that Time had smitten her +in the face with his five claws. + +Many an old man they met as they marched in search of Time. All had +seen him but none could tell them more, except that some said he went +that way and pointed to a ruined tower or to an old and broken tree. + +And day after day and month by month the King pushed on with his +armies, hoping to come at last on Time. Sometimes they encamped at +night near palaces of beautiful design or beside gardens of flowers, +hoping to find their enemy when he came to desecrate in the dark. +Sometimes they came on cobwebs, sometimes on rusted chains and houses +with broken roofs or crumbling walls. Then the armies would push on +apace thinking that they were closer upon the track of Time. + +As the weeks passed by and weeks grew to months, and always they heard +reports and rumours of Time, but never found him, the armies grew weary +of the great march, but the King pushed on and would let none turn +back, saying always that the enemy was near at hand. + +Month in, month out, the King led on his now unwilling armies, till at +last they had marched for close upon a year and came to the village of +Astarma very far to the north. There many of the King’s weary soldiers +deserted from his armies and settled down in Astarma and married +Astarmian girls. By these soldiers we have the march of the armies +clearly chronicled to the time when they came to Astarma, having been +nigh a year upon the march. And the army left that village and the +children cheered them as they went up the street, and five miles +distant they passed over a ridge of hills and out of sight. Beyond this +less is known, but the rest of this chronicle is gathered from the +tales that the veterans of the King’s armies used to tell in the +evenings about the fires in Zoon and remembered afterwards by the men +of Zeenar. + +It is mostly credited in these days that such of the King’s armies as +went on past Astarma came at last (it is not known after how long a +time) over a crest of a slope where the whole earth slanted green to +the north. Below it lay green fields and beyond them moaned the sea +with never shore nor island so far as the eye could reach. Among the +green fields lay a village, and on this village the eyes of the King +and his armies were turned as they came down the slope. It lay beneath +them, grave with seared antiquity, with old-world gables stained and +bent by the lapse of frequent years, with all its chimneys awry. Its +roofs were tiled with antique stones covered over deep with moss, each +little window looked with a myriad strange cut panes on the gardens +shaped with quaint devices and overrun with weeds. On rusted hinges the +doors swung to and fro and were fashioned of planks of immemorial oak +with black knots gaping from their sockets. Against it all there beat +the thistle-down, about it clambered the ivy or swayed the weeds; tall +and straight out of the twisted chimneys arose blue columns of smoke, +and blades of grass peeped upward between the huge cobbles of the +unmolested street. Between the gardens and the cobbled streets stood +hedges higher than a horseman might look, of stalwart thorn, and upward +through it clambered the convolvulus to peer into the garden from the +top. Before each house there was cut a gap in the hedge, and in it +swung a wicket gate of timber soft with the rain and years, and green +like the moss. Over all of it there brooded age and the full hush of +things bygone and forgotten. Upon this derelict that the years had cast +up out of antiquity the King and his armies gazed long. Then on the +hill slope the King made his armies halt, and went down alone with one +of his chiefs into the village. + +Presently there was a stir in one of the houses, and a bat flew out of +the door into the daylight, and three mice came running out of the +doorway down the step, an old stone cracked in two and held together by +moss; and there followed an old man bending on a stick with a white +beard coming to the ground, wearing clothes that were glossed with use, +and presently there came others out of the other houses, all of them as +old, and all hobbling on sticks. These were the oldest people that the +King had ever beheld, and he asked them the name of the village and who +they were; and one of them answered, “This is the City of the Aged in +the Territory of Time.” + +And the King said, “Is Time then here?” + +And one of the old men pointed to a great castle standing on a steep +hill and said: “Therein dwells Time, and we are his people;” and they +all looked curiously at King Karnith Zo, and the eldest of the +villagers spoke again and said: “Whence do you come, you that are so +young?” and Karnith Zo told him how he had come to conquer Time to save +the world and the gods, and asked them whence they came. + +And the villagers said: + +“We are older than always, and know not whence we came, but we are the +people of Time, and here from the Edge of Everything he sends out his +hours to assail the world, and you may never conquer Time.” But the +King went back to his armies, and pointed towards the castle on the +hill and told them that at last they had found the Enemy of the Earth; +and they that were older than always went back slowly into their houses +with the creaking of olden doors. And there they went across the fields +and passed the village. From one of his towers Time eyed them all the +while, and in battle order they closed in on the steep hill as Time sat +still in his great tower and watched. + +But as the feet of the foremost touched the edge of the hill Time +hurled five years against them, and the years passed over their heads +and the army still came on, an army of older men. But the slope seemed +steeper to the King and to every man in his army, and they breathed +more heavily. And Time summoned up more years, and one by one he hurled +them at Karnith Zo and at all his men. And the knees of the army +stiffened, and their beards grew and turned grey, and the hours and +days and the months went singing over their heads, and their hair +turned whiter and whiter, and the conquering hours bore down, and the +years rushed on and swept the youth of that army clear away till they +came face to face under the walls of the castle of Time with a mass of +howling years, and found the top of the slope too steep for aged men. +Slowly and painfully, harassed with agues and chills, the King rallied +his aged army that tottered down the slope. + +Slowly the King led back his warriors over whose heads had shrieked the +triumphant years. Year in, year out, they straggled southwards, always +towards Zoon; they came, with rust upon their spears and long beards +flowing, again into Astarma, and none knew them there. They passed +again by towns and villages where once they had inquired curiously +concerning Time, and none knew them there either. They came again to +the palaces and gardens where they had waited for Time in the night, +and found that Time had been there. And all the while they set a hope +before them that they should come on Zoon again and see its golden +eaves. And no one knew that unperceived behind them there lurked and +followed the gaunt figure of Time cutting off stragglers one by one and +overwhelming them with his hours, only men were missed from the army +every day, and fewer and fewer grew the veterans of Karnith Zo. + +But at last after many a month, one night as they marched in the dusk +before the morning, dawn suddenly ascending shone on the eaves of Zoon, +and a great cry ran through the army: + +“Alatta, Alatta!” + +But drawing nearer they found that the gates were rusted and weeds grew +tall along the outer walls, many a roof had fallen, gables were +blackened and bent, and the golden eaves shone not as heretofore. And +the soldiers entering the city expecting to find their sisters and +sweethearts of a few years ago saw only old women wrinkled with great +age and knew not who they were. + +Suddenly someone said: + +“He has been here too.” + +And then they knew that while they searched for Time, Time had gone +forth against their city and leaguered it with the years, and had taken +it while they were far away and enslaved their women and children with +the yoke of age. So all that remained of the three armies of Karnith Zo +settled in the conquered city. And presently the men of Zeenar crossed +over the river Eidis and easily conquering an army of aged men took all +Alatta for themselves, and their kings reigned thereafter in the city +of Zoon. And sometimes the men of Zeenar listened to the strange tales +that the old Alattans told of the years when they made battle against +Time. Such of these tales as the men of Zeenar remembered they +afterwards set forth, and this is all that may be told of those +adventurous armies that went to war with Time to save the world and the +gods, and were overwhelmed by the hours and the years. + + + + +THE RELENTING OF SARNIDAC + + +The lame boy Sarnidac tended sheep on a hill to the southward of the +city. Sarnidac was a dwarf and greatly derided in the city. For the +women said: + +“It is very funny that Sarnidac is a dwarf,” and they would point their +fingers at him saying:—“This is Sarnidac, he is a dwarf; also he is +very lame.” + +Once the doors of all the temples in the world swung open to the +morning, and Sarnidac with his sheep upon the hill saw strange figures +going down the white road, always southwards. All the morning he saw +the dust rising above the strange figures and always they went +southwards right as far as the rim of the Nydoon hills where the white +road could be seen no more. And the figures stooped and seemed to be +larger than men, but all men seemed very large to Sarnidac, and he +could not see clearly through the dust. And Sarnidac shouted to them, +as he hailed all people that passed down the long white road, and none +of the figures looked to left or right and none of them turned to +answer Sarnidac. But then few people ever answered him because he was +lame, and a small dwarf. + +Still the figures went striding swiftly, stooping forward through the +dust, till at last Sarnidac came running down his hill to watch them +closer. As he came to the white road the last of the figures passed +him, and Sarnidac ran limping behind him down the road. + +For Sarnidac was weary of the city wherein all derided him, and when he +saw these figures all hurrying away he thought that they went perhaps +to some other city beyond the hills over which the sun shone brighter, +or where there was more food, for he was poor, even perhaps where +people had not the custom of laughing at Sarnidac. So this procession +of figures that stooped and seemed larger than men went southward down +the road and a lame dwarf hobbled behind them. + +Khamazan, now called the City of the Last of Temples, lies southward of +the Nydoon hills. This is the story of Pompeides, now chief prophet of +the only temple in the world, and greatest of all the prophets that +have been: + +On the slopes of Nydoon I was seated once above Khamazan. There I saw +figures in the morning striding through much dust along the road that +leads across the world. Striding up the hill they came towards me, not +with the gait of men, and soon the first one came to the crest of the +hill where the road dips to find the plains again, where lies Khamazan. +And now I swear by all the gods that are gone that this thing happened +as I shall say it, and was surely so. When those that came striding up +the hill came to its summit they took not the road that goes down into +the plains nor trod the dust any longer, but went straight on and +upwards, striding as they strode before, as though the hill had not +ended nor the road dipped. And they strode as though they trod no +yielding substance, yet they stepped upwards through the air. + +This the gods did, for They were not born men who strode that day so +strangely away from earth. + +But I, when I saw this thing, when already three had passed me, leaving +earth, cried out before the fourth: + +‘Gods of my childhood, guardians of little homes, whither are ye going, +leaving the round earth to swim alone and forgotten in so great a waste +of sky?’ + +And one answered: + +‘Heresy apace shoots her fierce glare over the world and men’s faith +grows dim and the gods go. Men shall make iron gods and gods of steel +when the wind and the ivy meet within the shrines of the temples of the +gods of old.’ + +And I left that place as a man leaves fire by night, and going +plainwards down the white road that the gods spurned cried out to all +that I passed to follow me, and so crying came to the city’s gates. And +there I shouted to all near the gates: + +‘From yonder hilltop the gods are leaving earth.’ + +Then I gathered many, and we all hastened to the hill to pray the gods +to tarry, and there we cried out to the last of the departing gods: + +‘Gods of old prophecy and of men’s hopes, leave not the earth, and all +our worship shall hum about Your ears as never it hath before, and oft +the sacrifice shall squeal upon Your altars.’ + +And I said:— + +‘Gods of still evenings and quiet nights, go not from earth and leave +not Your carven shrines, and all men shall worship You still. For +between us and yonder still blue spaces oft roam the thunder and the +storms, there in his hiding lurks the dark eclipse, and there are +stored all snows and hails and lightnings that shall vex the earth for +a million years. Gods of our hopes, how shall men’s prayers crying from +empty shrines pass through such terrible spaces; how shall they ever +fare above the thunder and many storms to whatever place the gods may +go in that blue waste beyond?’ + +But the gods bent straight forward, and trampled through the sky and +looked not to the right nor left nor downwards, nor ever heeded my +prayer. + +And one cried out hoping yet to stay the gods, though nearly all were +gone, saying:— + +‘O gods, rob not the earth of the dim hush that hangs round all Your +temples, bereave not all the world of old romance, take not the glamour +from the moonlight nor tear the wonder out of the white mists in every +land; for, O ye gods of the childhood of the world, when You have left +the earth you shall have taken the mystery from the sea and all its +glory from antiquity, and You shall have wrenched out hope from the dim +future. There shall be no strange cries at night time half understood, +nor songs in the twilight, and the whole of the wonder shall have died +with last year’s flowers in little gardens or hill-slopes leaning +south; for with the gods must go the enchantment of the plains and all +the magic of dark woods, and something shall be lacking from the quiet +of early dawn. For it would scarce befit the gods to leave the earth +and not take with Them that which They had given it. Out beyond the +still blue spaces Ye will need the holiness of sunset for Yourselves +and little sacred memories and the thrill that is in stories told by +firesides long ago. One strain of music, one song, one line of poetry +and one kiss, and a memory of one pool with rushes, and each one the +best, shall the gods take to whom the best belongs, when the gods go. + +‘Sing a lamentation, people of Khamazan, sing a lamentation for all the +children of earth at the feet of the departing gods. Sing a lamentation +for the children of earth who now must carry their prayers to empty +shrines and around empty shrines must rest at last.’ + +Then when our prayers were ended and our tears shed, we beheld the last +and smallest of the gods halted upon the hilltop. Twice he called to +Them with a cry somewhat like the cry wherewith our shepherds hail +their brethren, and long gazed after Them, and then deigned to look no +longer and to tarry upon earth and turn his eyes on men. Then a great +shout went up when we saw that our hopes were saved and that there was +still on earth a haven for our prayers. Smaller than men now seemed the +figures that had loomed so big, as one behind the other far over our +heads They still strode upwards. But the small god that had pitied the +world came with us down the hill, still deigning to tread the road, +though strangely, not as men tread, and into Khamazan. There we housed +him in the palace of the King, for that was before the building of the +temple of gold, and the King made sacrifice before him with his own +hands, and he that had pitied the world did eat the flesh of the +sacrifice. + +And the Book of the Knowledge of the gods in Khamazan tells how the +small god that pitied the world told his prophets that his name was +Sarnidac and that he herded sheep, and that therefore he is called the +shepherd god, and sheep are sacrificed upon his altars thrice a day, +and the North, East, West and the South are the four hurdles of +Sarnidac and the white clouds are his sheep. And the Book of the +Knowledge of the gods tells further how the day on which Pompeides +found the gods shall be kept for ever as a fast until the evening and +called the Fast of the Departing, but in the evening shall a feast be +held which is named the Feast of the Relenting, for on that evening +Sarnidac pitied the whole world and tarried. + +And the people of Khamazan all prayed to Sarnidac, and dreamed their +dreams and hoped their hopes because their temple was not empty. +Whether the gods that are departed be greater than Sarnidac none know +in Khamazan, but some believe that in their azure windows They have set +lights that lost prayers swarming upwards may come to them like moths +and at last find haven and light far up above the evening and the +stillness where sit the gods. + +But Sarnidac wondered at the strange figures, at the people of +Khamazan, and at the palace of the King and the customs of the +prophets, but wondered not more greatly at aught in Khamazan than he +had wondered at the city which he had left. For Sarnidac, who had not +known why men were unkind to him, thought that he had found at last the +land for which the gods had let him hope, where men should have the +custom of being kind to Sarnidac. + + + + +THE JEST OF THE GODS + + +Once the Older gods had need of laughter. Therefore They made the soul +of a king, and set in it ambitions greater than kings should have, and +lust for territories beyond the lust of other kings, and in this soul +They set strength beyond the strength of others and fierce desire for +power and a strong pride. Then the gods pointed earthward and sent that +soul into the fields of men to live in the body of a slave. And the +slave grew, and the pride and lust for power began to arise in his +heart, and he wore shackles on his arms. Then in the Fields of Twilight +the gods prepared to laugh. + +But the slave went down to the shore of the great sea, and cast his +body away and the shackles that were upon it, and strode back to the +Fields of Twilight and stood up before the gods and looked Them in +Their faces. This thing the gods, when They had prepared to laugh, had +not foreseen. Lust for power burned strong in that King’s soul, and +there was all the strength and pride in it that the gods had placed +therein, and he was too strong for the Older gods. He whose body had +borne the lashes of men could brook no longer the dominion of the gods, +and standing before Them he bade the gods to go. Up to Their lips leapt +all the anger of the Older gods, being for the first time commanded, +but the King’s soul faced Them still, and Their anger died away and +They averted Their eyes. Then Their thrones became empty, and the +Fields of Twilight bare as the gods slunk far away. But the soul chose +new companions. + + + + +THE DREAMS OF THE PROPHET + +I + +When the gods drave me forth to toil and assailed me with thirst and +beat me down with hunger, then I prayed to the gods. When the gods +smote the cities wherein I dwelt, and when Their anger scorched me and +Their eyes burned, then did I praise the gods and offer sacrifice. But +when I came again to my green land and found that all was gone, and the +old mysterious haunts wherein I prayed as a child were gone, and when +the gods tore up the dust and even the spider’s web from the last +remembered nook, then did I curse the gods, speaking it to Their faces, +saying:— + +“Gods of my prayers! Gods of my sacrifice! because Ye have forgotten +the sacred places of my childhood, and they have therefore ceased to +be, yet may I not forget. Because Ye have done this thing, Ye shall see +cold altars and shall lack both my fear and praise. I shall not wince +at Your lightnings, nor be awed when Ye go by.” + +Then looking seawards I stood and cursed the gods, and at this moment +there came to me one in the garb of a poet, who said:— + +“Curse not the gods.” + +And I said to him: + +“Wherefore should I not curse Those that have stolen my sacred places +in the night, and trodden down the gardens of my childhood?” + +And he said “Come, and I will show thee.” And I followed him to where +two camels stood with their faces towards the desert. And we set out +and I travelled with him for a great space, he speaking never a word, +and so we came at last to a waste valley hid in the desert’s midst. And +herein, like fallen moons, I saw vast ribs that stood up white out of +the sand, higher than the hills of the desert. And here and there lay +the enormous shapes of skulls like the white marble domes of palaces +built for tyrannous kings a long while since by armies of driven +slaves. Also there lay in the desert other bones, the bones of vast +legs and arms, against which the desert, like a besieging sea, ever +advanced and already had half drowned. And as I gazed in wonder at +these colossal things the poet said to me: + +“The gods are dead.” + +And I gazed long in silence, and I said: + +“These fingers, that are now so dead and so very white and still, tore +once the flowers in gardens of my youth.” + +But my companion said to me: + +“I have brought thee here to ask of thee thy forgiveness of the gods, +for I, being a poet, knew the gods, and would fain drive off the curses +that hover above Their bones and bring Them men’s forgiveness as an +offering at the last, that the weeds and the ivy may cover Their bones +from the sun.” + +And I said: + +“They made Remorse with his fur grey like a rainy evening in the +autumn, with many rending claws, and Pain with his hot hands and +lingering feet, and Fear like a rat with two cold teeth carved each out +of the ice of either pole, and Anger with the swift flight of the +dragonfly in summer having burning eyes. I will not forgive these +gods.” + +But the poet said: + +“Canst thou be angry with these beautiful white bones?” And I looked +long at those curved and beautiful bones that were no longer able to +hurt the smallest creature in all the worlds that they had made. And I +thought long of the evil that they had done, and also of the good. But +when I thought of Their great hands coming red and wet from battles to +make a primrose for a child to pick, then I forgave the gods. + +And a gentle rain came falling out of heaven and stilled the restless +sand, and a soft green moss grew suddenly and covered the bones till +they looked like strange green hills, and I heard a cry and awoke and +found that I had dreamed, and looking out of my house into the street I +found that a flash of lightning had killed a child. Then I knew that +the gods still lived. + +II + +I lay asleep in the poppy fields of the gods in the valley of Alderon, +where the gods come by night to meet together in council when the moon +is low. And I dreamed that this was the Secret. + +Fate and Chance had played their game and ended, and all was over, all +the hopes and tears, regrets, desires and sorrows, things that men wept +for and unremembered things, and kingdoms and little gardens and the +sea, and the worlds and the moons and the suns; and what remained was +nothing, having neither colour nor sound. + +Then said Fate to Chance: “Let us play our old game again.” And they +played it again together, using the gods as pieces, as they had played +it oft before. So that those things which have been shall all be again, +and under the same bank in the same land a sudden glare of sunlight on +the same spring day shall bring the same daffodil to bloom once more +and the same child shall pick it, and not regretted shall be the +billion years that fell between. And the same old faces shall be seen +again, yet not bereaved of their familiar haunts. And you and I shall +in a garden meet again upon an afternoon in summer when the sun stands +midway between his zenith and the sea, where we met oft before. For +Fate and Chance play but one game together with every move the same, +and they play it oft to while eternity away. + + + + +PART II. + + + + +THE JOURNEY OF THE KING + + +I + +One day the King turned to the women that danced and said to them: +“Dance no more,” and those that bore the wine in jewelled cups he sent +away. The palace of King Ebalon was emptied of sound of song and there +rose the voices of heralds crying in the streets to find the prophets +of the land. + +Then went the dancers, the cupbearer and the singers down into the hard +streets among the houses, Pattering Leaves, Silvern Fountain and Summer +Lightning, the dancers whose feet the gods had not devised for stony +ways, which had only danced for princes. And with them went the singer, +Soul of the South, and the sweet singer, Dream of the Sea, whose voices +the gods had attuned to the ears of kings, and old Istahn the cupbearer +left his life’s work in the palace to tread the common ways, he that +had stood at the elbows of three kings of Zarkandhu and had watched his +ancient vintage feeding their valour and mirth as the waters of +Tondaris feed the green plains to the south. Ever he had stood grave +among their jests, but his heart warmed itself solely by the fire of +the mirth of Kings. He too, with the singers and dancers, went out into +the dark. + +And throughout the land the heralds sought out the prophets thereof. +Then one evening as King Ebalon sat alone within his palace there were +brought before him all who had repute for wisdom and who wrote the +histories of the times to be. Then the King spake, saying: “The King +goeth upon a journey with many horses, yet riding upon none, when the +pomp of travelling shall be heard in the streets and the sound of the +lute and the drum and the name of the King. And I would know what +princes and what people shall greet me on the other shore in the land +to which I travel.” + +Then fell a hush upon the prophets for they murmured: “All knowledge is +with the King.” + +Then said the King: “Thou first, Samahn, High Prophet of the Temple of +gold in Azinorn, answer or thou shalt write no more the history of the +times to be, but shalt toil with thy hand to make record of the little +happenings of the days that were, as do the common men.” + +Then said Samahn: “All knowledge is with the King,” and when the pomp +of travelling shall be heard in the streets and the slow horses whereon +the King rideth not go behind lute and drum, then, as the King well +knoweth, thou shalt go down to the great white house of Kings and, +entering the portals where none are worthy to follow, shalt make +obeisance alone to all the elder Kings of Zarkandhu, whose bones are +seated upon golden thrones grasping their sceptres still. Therein thou +shalt go with robes and sceptre through the marble porch, but thou +shalt leave behind thee thy gleaming crown that others may wear it, and +as the times go by come in to swell the number of the thirty Kings that +sit in the great white house on golden thrones. There is one doorway in +the great white house, and it stands wide with marble portals yawning +for kings, but when it shall receive thee, and thine obeisance hath +been made because of thine obligation to the thirty Kings, thou shalt +find at the back of the house an unknown door through which the soul of +a King may just pass, and leaving thy bones upon a golden throne thou +shalt go unseen out of the great white house to tread the velvet spaces +that lie among the worlds. Then, O King, it were well to travel fast +and not to tarry about the houses of men as do the souls of some who +still bewail the sudden murder that sent them upon the journey before +their time, and who, being yet loth to go, linger in dark chambers all +the night. These, setting forth to travel in the dawn and travelling +all the day, see earth behind them gleaming when evening falls, and +again are loth to leave its pleasant haunts, and come back again +through dark woods and up into some old loved chamber, and ever tarry +between home and flight and find no rest. + +Thou wilt set forth at once because the journey is far and lasts for +many hours; but the hours on the velvet spaces are the hours of the +gods, and we may not say what time such an hour may be if reckoned in +mortal years. + +At last thou shalt come to a grey place filled with mist, with grey +shapes standing before it which are altars, and on the altars rise +small red flames from dying fires that scarce illumine the mist. And in +the mist it is dark and cold because the fires are low. These are the +altars of the people’s faiths, and the flames are the worship of men, +and through the mist the gods of Old go groping in the dark and in the +cold. There thou shalt hear a voice cry feebly: “Inyani, Inyani, lord +of the thunder, where art thou, for I cannot see?” And a voice shall +answer faintly in the cold: “O maker of many worlds, I am here.” And in +that place the gods of Old are nearly deaf for the prayers of men grow +few, they are nigh blind because the fires burn low upon the altars of +men’s faiths and they are very cold. And all about the place of mist +there lies a moaning sea which is called the Sea of Souls. And behind +the place of mist are the dim shapes of mountains, and on the peak of +one there glows a silvern light that shines in the moaning sea; and +ever as the flames on the altars die before the gods of Old the light +on the mountain increases, and the light shines over the mist and never +through it as the gods of Old grow blind. It is said that the light on +the mountain shall one day become a new god who is not of the gods of +Old. + +There, O King, thou shalt enter the Sea of Souls by the shore where the +altars stand which are covered in mist. In that sea are the souls of +all that ever lived on the worlds and all that ever shall live, all +freed from earth and flesh. And all the souls in that sea are aware of +one another but more than with hearing or sight or by taste or touch or +smell, and they all speak to each other yet not with lips, with voices +which need no sound. And over the sea lies music as winds o’er an ocean +on earth, and there unfettered by language great thoughts set outward +through the souls as on earth the currents go. + +Once did I dream that in a mist-built ship I sailed upon that sea and +heard the music that is not of instruments, and voices not from lips, +and woke and found that I was upon the earth and that the gods had lied +to me in the night. Into this sea from fields of battle and cities come +down the rivers of lives, and ever the gods have taken onyx cups and +far and wide into the worlds again have flung the souls out of the sea, +that each soul may find a prison in the body of a man with five small +windows closely barred, and each one shackled with forgetfulness. + +But all the while the light on the mountain grows, and none may say +what work the god that shall be born of the silvern light shall work on +the Sea of Souls, when the gods of Old are dead and the Sea is living +still. + +And answer made the King: + +“Thou that art a prophet of the gods of Old, go back and see that those +red flames burn more brightly on the altars in the mist, for the gods +of Old are easy and pleasant gods, and thou canst not say what toil +shall vex our souls when the god of the light on the mountain shall +stride along the shore where bleach the huge bones of the gods of Old.” + +And Samahn answered: “All knowledge is with the King.” + +II + +Then the King called to Ynath bidding him speak concerning the journey +of the King. Ynath was the prophet that sat at the Eastern gate of the +Temple of Gorandhu. There Ynath prayed his prayers to all the passers +by lest ever the gods should go abroad, and one should pass him dressed +in mortal guise. And men are pleased as they walk by that Eastern gate +that Ynath should pray to them for fear that they be gods, so men bring +gifts to Ynath in the Eastern gate. + +And Ynath said: “All knowledge is with the King. When a strange ship +comes to anchor in the air outside thy chamber window, thou shalt leave +thy well-kept garden and it shall become a prey to the nights and days +and be covered again with grass. But going aboard thou shalt set sail +over the Sea of Time and well shall the ship steer through the many +worlds and still sail on. If other ships shall pass thee on the way and +hail thee saying: ‘From what port’ thou shalt answer them: ‘From +Earth.’ And if they ask thee ‘whither bound?’ then thou shalt answer: +‘The End.’ Or thou shalt hail them saying: ‘From what port?’ And they +shall answer: ‘From The End called also The Beginning, and bound to +Earth.’ And thou shalt sail away till like an old sorrow dimly felt by +happy men the worlds shall gleam in the distance like one star, and as +the star pales thou shalt come to the shore of space where aeons +rolling shorewards from Time’s sea shall lash up centuries to foam away +in years. There lies the Centre Garden of the gods, facing full +seawards. All around lie songs that on earth were never sung, fair +thoughts not heard among the worlds, dream pictures never seen that +drifted over Time without a home till at last the aeons swept them on +to the shore of space. And in the Centre Garden of the gods bloom many +fancies. Therein once some souls were playing where the gods walked up +and down and to and fro. And a dream came in more beauteous than the +rest on the crest of a wave of Time, and one soul going downward to the +shore clutched at the dream and caught it. Then over the dreams and +stories and old songs that lay on the shore of space the hours came +sweeping back, and the centuries caught that soul and swirled him with +his dream far out to the Sea of Time, and the aeons swept him +earthwards and cast him into a palace with all the might of the sea and +left him there with his dream. The child grew to a King and still +clutched at his dream till the people wondered and laughed. Then, O +King, Thou didst cast thy dream back into the Sea, and Time drowned it +and men laughed no more, but thou didst forget that a certain sea beat +on a distant shore and that there was a garden and therein souls. But +at the end of the journey that thou shalt take, when thou comest to the +shore of space again thou shalt go up the beach, and coming to a garden +gate that stands in a garden wall shalt remember these things again, +for it stands where the hours assail not above the beating of Time, far +up the shore, and nothing altereth there. So thou shalt go through the +garden gate and hear again the whispering of the souls when they talk +low where sing the voices of the gods. There with kindred souls thou +shalt speak as thou didst of yore and tell them what befell thee beyond +the tides of time and how they took thee and made of thee a King so +that thy soul found no rest. There in the Centre Garden thou shalt sit +at ease and watch the gods all rainbow-clad go up and down and to and +fro on the paths of dreams and songs, and shalt not venture down to the +cheerless sea. For that which a man loves most is not on this side of +Time, and all which drifts on its aeons is a lure. + +“All knowledge is with the King.” + +Then said the King: “Ay, there was a dream once but Time hath swept it +away.” + +III + +Then spake Monith, Prophet of the Temple of Azure that stands on the +snow-peak of Ahmoon and said: “All knowledge is with the King. Once +thou didst set out upon a one day’s journey riding thy horse and before +thee had gone a beggar down the road, and his name was Yeb. Him thou +didst overtake and when he heeded not thy coming thou didst ride over +him. + +“Upon the journey that thou shalt one day take riding upon no horse, +this beggar has set out before thee and is labouring up the crystal +steps towards the moon as a man goeth up the steps of a high tower in +the dark. On the moon’s edge beneath the shadow of Mount Angises he +shall rest awhile and then shall climb the crystal steps again. Then a +great journey lies before him before he may rest again till he come to +that star that is called the left eye of Gundo. Then a journey of many +crystal steps lieth before him again with nought to guide him but the +light of Omrazu. On the edge of Omrazu shall Yeb tarry long, for the +most dreadful part of his journey lieth before him. Up the crystal +steps that lie beyond Omrazu he must go, and any that follow, though +the howling of all the meteors that ride the sky; for in that part of +the crystal space go many meteors up and down all squealing in the +dark, which greatly perplex all travellers. And, if he may see though +the gleaming of the meteors and in spite of their uproar come safely +through, he shall come to the star Omrund at the edge of the Track of +Stars. And from star to star along the Track of Stars the soul of a man +may travel with more ease, and there the journey lies no more straight +forward, but curves to the right.” + +Then said King Ebalon: + +“Of this beggar whom my horse smote down thou hast spoken much, but I +sought to know by what road a King should go when he taketh his last +royal journey, and what princes and what people should meet him upon +another shore.” + +Then answered Monith: + +“All knowledge is with the King. It hath been doomed by the gods, who +speak not in jest, that thou shalt follow the soul that thou didst send +alone upon its journey, that that soul go not unattended up the crystal +steps. + +“Moreover, as this beggar went upon his lonely journey he dared to +curse the King, and his curses lie like a red mist along the valleys +and hollows wherever he uttered them. By these red mists, O King, thou +shalt track him as a man follows a river by night until thou shalt fare +at last to the land wherein he hath blessed thee (repenting of anger at +last), and thou shalt see his blessing lie over the land like a blaze +of golden sunshine illumining fields and gardens.” + +Then said the King: + +“The gods have spoken hard above the snowy peak of this mountain +Ahmoon.” + +And Monith said: + +“How a man may come to the shore of space beyond the tides of time I +know not, but it is doomed that thou shalt certainly first follow the +beggar past the moon, Omrund and Omrazu till thou comest to the Track +of Stars, and up the Track of Stars coming towards the right along the +edge of it till thou comest to Ingazi. There the soul of the beggar Yeb +sat long, then, breathing deep, set off on his great journey earthward +adown the crystal steps. Straight through the spaces where no stars are +found to rest at, following the dull gleam of earth and her fields till +he come at last where journeys end and start.” + +Then said King Ebalon: + +“If this hard tale be true, how shall I find the beggar that I must +follow when I come again to the earth?” + +And the Prophet answered: + +“Thou shalt know him by his name and find him in this place, for that +beggar shall be called King Ebalon and he shall be sitting upon the +throne of the Kings of Zarkandhu.” + +And the King answered: + +“If one sit upon this throne whom men call King Ebalon, who then shall +I be?” + +And the Prophet answered: + +“Thou shalt be a beggar and thy name shall be Yeb, and thou shalt ever +tread the road before the palace waiting for alms from the King whom +men shall call Ebalon.” + +Then said the King: + +“Hard gods indeed are those that tramp the snows of Ahmoon about the +temple of Azure, for if I sinned against this beggar called Yeb, they +too have sinned against him when they doomed him to travel on this +weary journey though he hath not offended.” + +And Monith said: + +“He too hath offended, for he was angry as thy horse struck him, and +the gods smite anger. And his anger and his curses doom him to journey +without rest as also they doom thee.” + +Then said the King: + +“Thou that sittest upon Ahmoon in the Temple of Azure, dreaming thy +dreams and making prophecies, foresee the ending of this weary quest +and tell me where it shall be?” + +And Monith answered: + +“As a man looks across great lakes I have gazed into the days to be, +and as the great flies come upon four wings of gauze to skim over blue +waters, so have my dreams come sailing two by two out of the days to +be. And I dreamed that King Ebalon, whose soul was not thy soul, stood +in his palace in a time far hence, and beggars thronged the street +outside, and among them was Yeb, a beggar, having thy soul. And it was +on the morning of a festival and the King came robed in white, with all +his prophets and his seers and magicians, all down the marble steps to +bless the land and all that stood therein as far as the purple hills, +because it was the morning of festival. And as the King raised up his +hand over the beggars’ heads to bless the fields and rivers and all +that stood therein, I dreamed that the quest was ended. + +“All knowledge is with the King.” + +IV + +Evening darkened and above the palace domes gleamed out the stars +whereon haply others missed the secret too. + +And outside the palace in the dark they that had borne the wine in +jewelled cups mocked in low voices at the King and at the wisdom of his +prophets. + +Then spake Ynar, called the prophet of the Crystal Peak; for there +rises Amanath above all that land, a mountain whose peak is crystal, +and Ynar beneath its summit hath his Temple, and when day shines no +longer on the world Amanath takes the sunlight and gleams afar as a +beacon in a bleak land lit at night. And at the hour when all faces are +turned on Amanath, Ynar comes forth beneath the Crystal peak to weave +strange spells and to make signs that people say are surely for the +gods. Therefore it is said in all those lands that Ynar speaks at +evening to the gods when all the world is still. + +And Ynar said: + +“All knowledge is with the King, and without doubt it hath come to the +King’s ears how certain speech is held at evening on the Peak of +Amanath. + +“They that speak to me at evening on the Peak are They that live in a +city through whose streets Death walketh not, and I have heard it from +Their Elders that the King shall take no journey; only from thee the +hills shall slip away, the dark woods, the sky and all the gleaming +worlds that fill the night, and the green fields shall go on untrodden +by thy feet and the blue sky ungazed at by thine eyes, and still the +rivers shall all run seaward but making no music in thine ears. And all +the old laments shall still be spoken, troubling thee not, and to the +earth shall fall the tears of the children of earth and never grieving +thee. Pestilence, heat and cold, ignorance, famine and anger, these +things shall grip their claws upon all men as heretofore in fields and +roads and cities but shall not hold thee. But from thy soul, sitting in +the old worn track of the worlds when all is gone away, shall fall off +the shackles of circumstance and thou shalt dream thy dreams alone. + +“And thou shalt find that dreams are real where there is nought as far +as the Rim but only thy dreams and thee. + +“With them thou shalt build palaces and cities resting upon nothing and +having no place in time, not to be assailed by the hours or harmed by +ivy or rust, not to be taken by conquerors, but destroyed by thy fancy +if thou dost wish it so or by thy fancy rebuilded. And nought shall +ever disturb these dreams of thine which here are troubled and lost by +all the happenings of earth, as the dreams of one who sleeps in a +tumultuous city. For these thy dreams shall sweep outward like a strong +river over a great waste plain wherein are neither rocks nor hills to +turn it, only in that place there shall be no boundaries nor sea, +neither hindrance nor end. And it were well for thee that thou shouldst +take few regrets into thy waste dominions from the world wherein thou +livest, for such regrets or any memory of deeds ill done must sit +beside thy soul forever in that waste, singing one song always of +forlorn remorse; and they too shall be only dreams but very real. + +“There nought shall hinder thee among thy dreams, for even the gods may +harass thee no more when flesh and earth and events with which They +bound thee shall have slipped away.” + +Then said the King: + +“I like not this grey doom, for dreams are empty. I would see action +roaring through the world, and men and deeds.” + +Then answered the Prophet: + +“Victory, jewels and dancing but please thy fancy. What is the sparkle +of the gem to thee without thy fancy which it allures, and thy fancy is +all a dream. Action and deeds and men are nought without dreams and do +but fetter them, and only dreams are real, and where thou stayest when +the worlds shall drift away there shall be only dreams.” + +And the King answered: + +“A mad prophet.” + +And Ynar said: + +“A mad prophet, but believing that his soul possesseth all things of +which his soul may become aware and that he is master of that soul, and +thou a high-minded King believing only that thy soul possesseth such +few countries as are leaguered by thine armies and the sea, and that +thy soul is possessed by certain strange gods of whom thou knowest not, +who shall deal with it in a way whereof thou knowest not. Until a +knowledge come to us that either is wrong I have wider realms, I King, +than thee and hold them beneath no overlords.” + +Then said the King: + +“Thou hast said no overlords! To whom then dost thou speak by strange +signs at evening above the world?” + +And Ynar went forward and whispered to the King. And the King shouted: + +“Seize ye this prophet for he is a hypocrite and speaks to no gods at +evening above the world, but has deceived us with his signs.” + +And Ynar said: + +“Come not near me or I shall point towards you when I speak at evening +upon the mountain with Those that ye know of.” + +Then Ynar went away and the guards touched him not. + +V + +Then spake the prophet Thun, who was clad in seaweed and had no Temple, +but lived apart from men. All his life he had lived on a lonely beach +and had heard for ever the wailing of the sea and the crying of the +wind in hollows among the cliffs. Some said that having lived so long +by the full beating of the sea, and where always the wind cries +loudest, he could not feel the joys of other men, but only felt the +sorrow of the sea crying in his soul for ever. + +“Long ago on the path of stars, midmost between the worlds, there +strode the gods of Old. In the bleak middle of the worlds They sat and +the worlds went round and round, like dead leaves in the wind at +Autumn’s end, with never a life on one, while the gods went sighing for +the things that might not be. And the centuries went over the gods to +go where the centuries go, toward the End of Things, and with Them went +the sighs of all the gods as They longed for what might not be. + +“One by one in the midst of the worlds, fell dead the gods of Old, +still sighing for the things that might not be, all slain by Their own +regrets. Only Shimono Kani, the youngest of the gods, made him a harp +out of the heart strings of all the elder gods, and, sitting upon the +Path of Stars in the Middle of Things, played upon the harp a dirge for +the gods of Old. And the song told of all vain regrets and of unhappy +loves of the gods in the olden time, and of Their great deeds that were +to adorn the future years. But into the dirge of Shimono Kani came +voices crying out of the heart strings of the gods, all sighing still +for the things that might not be. And the dirge and the voices crying, +go drifting away from the Path of Stars, away from the Midst of Things, +till they come twittering among the Worlds, like a great host of birds +that are lost by night. And every note is a life, and many notes become +caught up among the worlds to be entangled with flesh for a little +while before they pass again on their journey to the great Anthem that +roars at the End of Time. Shimono Kani hath given a voice to the wind +and added a sorrow to the sea. But when in lighted chambers after +feasting there arises the voice of the singer to please the King, then +is the soul of that singer crying aloud to his fellows from where he +stands chained to earth. And when at the sound of the singing the heart +of the King grows sad and his princes lament then they remember, though +knowing not that, they remember it, the sad face of Shimono Kani +sitting by his dead brethren, the elder gods, playing on the harp of +crying heart strings whereby he sent their souls among the worlds. + + +[Illustration: The Dirge of Shimono Kani] + + +“And when the music of one lute is lonely on the hills at night, then +one soul calleth to his brother souls—the notes of Shimono Kani’s dirge +which have not been caught among the worlds—and he knoweth not to whom +he calls or why, but knoweth only that minstrelsy is his only cry and +sendeth it out into the dark. + +“But although in the prison houses of earth all memories must die, yet +as there sometimes clings to a prisoner’s feet some dust of the fields +wherein he was captured, so sometimes fragments of remembrance cling to +a man’s soul after it hath been taken to earth. Then a great minstrel +arises, and, weaving together the shreds of his memories, maketh some +melody such as the hand of Shimono Kani smites out of his harp; and +they that pass by say: ‘Hath there not been some such melody before?’ +and pass on sad at heart for memories which are not. + +“Therefore, O King, one day the great gates of thy palace shall lie +open for a procession wherein the King comes down to pass through a +people, lamenting with lute and drum; and on the same day a prison door +shall be opened by relenting hands, and one more lost note of Shimono +Kani’s dirge shall go back to swell his melody again. + +“The dirge of Shimono Kani shall roll on till one day it shall come +with all its notes complete to overwhelm the Silence that sits at the +End of Things. Then shall Shimono Kani say to his brethren’s bones: The +things that might not be have at last become.’ + +“But very quiet shall be the bones of the gods of Old, and only Their +voices shall live which cried from the harp of heart strings, for the +things which might not be.” + +VI + +When the caravans, saying farewell to Zandara, set out across the waste +northwards towards Einandhu, they follow the desert track for seven +days before they come to water where Shubah Onath rises black out of +the waste, with a well at its foot and herbage on its summit. On this +rock a prophet hath his Temple and is called the Prophet of Journeys, +and hath carven in a southern window smiling along the camel track all +gods that are benignant to caravans. + +There a traveller may learn by prophecy whether he shall accomplish the +ten days’ journey thence across the desert and so come to the white +city of Einandhu, or whether his bones shall lie with the bones of old +along the desert track. + +No name hath the Prophet of Journeys, for none is needed in that desert +where no man calls nor ever a man answers. + +Thus spake the Prophet of Journeys standing before the King: + +“The journey of the King shall be an old journey pushed on apace. + +“Many a year before the making of the moon thou camest down with dream +camels from the City without a name that stands beyond all the stars. +And then began thy journey over the Waste of Nought, and thy dream +camel bore thee well when those of certain of thy fellow travellers +fell down in the Waste and were covered over by the silence and were +turned again to nought; and those travellers when their dream camels +fell, having nothing to carry them further over the Waste, were lost +beyond and never found the earth. These are those men that might have +been but were not. And all about thee fluttered the myriad hours +travelling in great swarms across the Waste of Nought. + +“How many centuries passed across the cities while thou wast making thy +journey none may reckon, for there is no time in the Waste of Nought, +but only the hours fluttering earthwards from beyond to do the work of +Time. At last the dream-borne travellers saw far off a green place +gleaming and made haste towards it and so came to Earth. And there, O +King, ye rest for a little while, thou and those that came with thee, +making an encampment upon earth before journeying on. There the +swarming hours alight, settling on every blade of grass and tree, and +spreading over your tents and devouring all things, and at last bending +your very tent poles with their weight and wearying you. + +“Behind the encampment in the shadow of the tents lurks a dark figure +with a nimble sword, having the name of Time. This is he that hath +called the hours from beyond and he it is that is their master, and it +is his work that the hours do as they devour all green things upon the +earth and tatter the tents and weary all the travellers. As each of the +hours does the work of Time, Time smites him with his nimble sword as +soon as his work is done, and the hour falls severed to the dust with +his bright wings scattered, as a locust cut asunder by the scimitar of +a skillful swordsman. + +“One by one, O King, with a stir in the camp, and the folding up of the +tents one by one, the travellers shall push on again on the journey +begun so long before out of the City without a name to the place where +dream camels go, striding free through the Waste. So into the Waste, O +King, thou shalt set forth ere long, perhaps to renew friendships begun +during thy short encampment upon earth. + +“Other green places thou shalt meet in the Waste and thereon shalt +encamp again until driven thence by the hours. What prophet shall +relate how many journeys thou shalt make or how many encampments? But +at last thou shalt come to the place of The Resting of Camels, and +there shall gleaming cliffs that are named The Ending of Journeys lift +up out of the Waste of Nought, Nought at their feet, Nought laying wide +before them, with only the glint of worlds far off to illumine the +Waste. One by one, on tired dream camels, the travellers shall come in, +and going up the pathway through the cliff in that land of The Resting +of Camels shall come on The City of Ceasing. There, the dream-wrought +pinnacles and the spires that are builded of men’s hopes shall rise up +real before thee, seen only hitherto as a mirage in the Waste. + +“So far the swarming hours may not come, and far away among the tents +shall stand the dark figure with the nimble sword. But in the +scintillant streets, under the song-built abodes of the last of cities, +thy journey, O King, shall end.” + +VII + +In the valley beyond Sidono there lies a garden of poppies, and where +the poppies’ heads are all a-swing with summer breezes that go up the +valley there lies a path well strewn with ocean shells. Over Sidono’s +summit the birds come streaming to the lake that lies in the valley of +the garden, and behind them rises the sun sending Sidono’s shadow as +far as the edge of the lake. And down the path of many ocean shells +when they begin to gleam in the sun, every morning walks an aged man +clad in a silken robe with strange devices woven. A little temple where +the old man lives stands at the edge of the path. None worship there, +for Zornadhu, the old prophet, hath forsaken men to walk among his +poppies. + +For Zornadhu hath failed to understand the purport of Kings and cities +and the moving up and down of many people to the tune of the clinking +of gold. Therefore hath Zornadhu gone far away from the sound of cities +and from those that are ensnared thereby, and beyond Sidono’s mountain +hath come to rest where there are neither kings nor armies nor +bartering for gold, but only the heads of the poppies that sway in the +wind together and the birds that fly from Sidono to the lake, and then +the sunrise over Sidono’s summit; and afterwards the flight of birds +out of the lake and over Sidono again, and sunset behind the valley, +and high over lake and garden the stars that know not cities. There +Zornadhu lives in his garden of poppies with Sidono standing between +him and the whole world of men; and when the wind blowing athwart the +valley sways the heads of the tall poppies against the Temple wall, the +old prophet says: “The flowers are all praying, and lo! they be nearer +to the gods than men.” + +But the heralds of the King coming after many days of travel to Sidono +perceived the garden valley. By the lake they saw the poppy garden +gleaming round and small like a sunrise over water on a misty morning +seen by some shepherd from the hills. And descending the bare mountain +for three days they came to the gaunt pines, and ever between the tall +trunks came the glare of the poppies that shone from the garden valley. +For a whole day they travelled through the pines. That night a cold +wind came up the garden valley crying against the poppies. Low in his +Temple, with a song of exceeding grief, Zornadhu in the morning made a +dirge for the passing of poppies, because in the night time there had +fallen petals that might not return or ever come again into the garden +valley. Outside the Temple on the path of ocean shells the heralds +halted, and read the names and honours of the King; and from the Temple +came the voice of Zornadhu still singing his lament. But they took him +from his garden because of the King’s command, and down his gleaming +path of ocean shells and away up Sidono, and left the Temple empty with +none to lament when silken poppies died. And the will of the wind of +the autumn was wrought upon the poppies, and the heads of the poppies +that rose from the earth went down to the earth again, as the plume of +a warrior smitten in a heathen fight far away, where there are none to +lament him. Thus out of his land of flowers went Zornadhu and came +perforce into the lands of men, and saw cities, and in the city’s midst +stood up before the King. + +And the King said: + +“Zornadhu, what of the journey of the King and of the princes and the +people that shall meet me?” + +Zornadhu answered: + +“I know nought of Kings, but in the night time the poppy made his +journey a little before dawn. Thereafter the wildfowl came as is their +wont over Sidono’s summit, and the sun rising behind them gleamed upon +Sidono, and all the flowers of the lake awoke. And the bee passing up +and down the garden went droning to other poppies, and the flowers of +the lake, they that had known the poppy, knew him no more. And the +sun’s rays slanting from Sidono’s crest lit still a garden valley where +one poppy waved his petals to the dawn no more. And I, O King, that +down a path of gleaming ocean shells walk in the morning, found not, +nor have since found, that poppy again, that hath gone on the journey +whence there is not returning, out of my garden valley. And I, O King, +made a dirge to cry beyond that valley and the poppies bowed their +heads; but there is no cry nor no lament that may adjure the life to +return again to a flower that grew in a garden once and hereafter is +not. + +“Unto what place the lives of poppies have gone no man shall truly say. +Sure it is that to that place are only outward tracks. Only it may be +that when a man dreams at evening in a garden where heavily the scent +of poppies hangs in the air, when the winds have sunk, and far away the +sound of a lute is heard on lonely hills, as he dreams of +silken-scarlet poppies that once were a-swing together in the gardens +of his youth, the lives of those old lost poppies shall return, living +again in his dream. _So there may dream the gods._ And through the +dreams of some divinity reclining in tinted fields above the morning we +may haply pass again, although our bodies have long swirled up and down +the world with other dust. In these strange dreams our lives may be +again, all in the centre of our hopes, rejoicings and laments, until +above the morning the gods wake to go about their work, haply to +remember still Their idle dreams, haply to dream them all again in the +stillness when shines the starlight of the gods.” + +VIII + +Then said the King: “I like not these strange journeys nor this faint +wandering through the dreams of gods like the shadow of a weary camel +that may not rest when the sun is low. The gods that have made me to +love the earth’s cool woods and dancing streams do ill to send me into +the starry spaces that I love not, with my soul still peering earthward +through the eternal years, as a beggar who once was noble staring from +the street at lighted halls. For wherever the gods may send me I shall +be as the gods have made me, a creature loving the green fields of +earth. + +“Now if there stand one prophet here that hath the ear of those too +splendid gods that stride above the glories of the orient sky, tell +them that there is on earth one King in the land called Zarkandhu to +the south of the opal mountains, who would fain tarry among the many +gardens of earth, and would leave to other men the splendours that the +gods shall give the dead above the twilight that surrounds the stars.” + +Then spake Yamen, prophet of the Temple of Obin that stands on the +shores of a great lake, facing east. Yamen said: “I pray oft to the +gods who sit above the twilight behind the east. When the clouds are +heavy and red at sunset, or when there is boding of thunder or eclipse, +then I pray not, lest my prayers be scattered and beaten earthward. But +when the sun sets in a tranquil sky, pale green or azure, and the light +of his farewells stays long upon lonely hills, then I send forth my +prayers to flutter upward to gods that are surely smiling, and the gods +hear my prayers. But, O King, boons sought out of due time from the +gods are never wholly to be desired, and, if They should grant to thee +to tarry on the earth, old age would trouble thee with burdens more and +more till thou wouldst become the driven slave of the hours in fetters +that none may break.” + +The King said: “They that have devised this burden of age may surely +stay it, pray therefore on the calmest evening of the year to the gods +above the twilight that I may tarry always on the earth and always +young, while over my head the scourges of the gods pass and alight +not.” + +Then answered Yamen: “The King hath commanded, yet among the blessings +of the gods there always cries a curse. The great princes that make +merry with the King, who tell of the great deeds that the King wrought +in the former time, shall one by one grow old. And thou, O King, seated +at the feast crying, ‘make merry’ and extolling the former time shall +find about thee white heads nodding in sleep, and men that are +forgetting the former time. Then one by one the names of those that +sported with thee once called by the gods, one by one the names of the +singers that sing the songs thou lovest called by the gods, lastly of +those that chased the grey boar by night and took him in Orghoom +river—only the King. Then a new people that have not known the old +deeds of the King nor fought and chased with him, who dare not make +merry with the King as did his long dead princes. And all the while +those princes that are dead growing dearer and greater in thy memory, +and all the while the men that served thee then growing more small to +thee. And all the old things fading and new things arising which are +not as the old things were, the world changing yearly before thine eyes +and the gardens of thy childhood overgrown. Because thy childhood was +in the olden years thou shalt love the olden years, but ever the new +years shall overthrow them and their customs, and not the will of a +King may stay the changes that the gods have planned for all the +customs of old. Ever thou shalt say ‘This was not so,’ and ever the new +custom shall prevail even against a King. When thou hast made merry a +thousand times thou shalt grow tired of making merry. At last thou +shalt become weary of the chase, and still old age shall not come near +to thee to stifle desires that have been too oft fulfilled; then, O +King, thou shalt be a hunter yearning for the chase but with nought to +pursue that hath not been oft overcome. Old age shall come not to bury +thine ambitions in a time when there is nought for thee to aspire to +any more. Experience of many centuries shall make thee wise but hard +and very sad, and thou shalt be a mind apart from thy fellows and curse +them all for fools, and they shall not perceive thy wisdom because thy +thoughts are not their thoughts and the gods that they have made are +not the gods of the olden time. No solace shall thy wisdom bring thee +but only an increasing knowledge that thou knowest nought, and thou +shalt feel as a wise man in a world of fools, or else as a fool in a +world of wise men, when all men feel so sure and ever thy doubts +increase. When all that spake with thee of thine old deeds are dead, +those that saw them not shall speak of them again to thee; till one +speaking to thee of thy deeds of valour add more than even a man should +when speaking to a King, and thou shalt suddenly doubt whether these +great deeds were; and there shall be none to tell thee, only the echoes +of the voices of the gods still singing in thine ears when long ago +They called the princes that were thy friends. And thou shalt hear the +knowledge of the olden time most wrongly told and afterwards forgotten. +Then many prophets shall arise claiming discovery of that old +knowledge. Then thou shalt find that seeking knowledge is vain, as the +chase is vain, as making merry is vain, as all things are vain. One day +thou shalt find that it is vain to be a King. Greatly then will the +acclamations of the people weary thee, till the time when people grow +aweary of Kings. Then thou shalt know that thou hast been uprooted from +thine olden time and set to live in uncongenial years, and jests all +new to royal ears shall smite thee on the head like hailstones, when +thou hast lost thy crown, when those to whose grandsires thou hadst +granted to bring them as children to kiss the feet of the King shall +mock at thee because thou hast not learnt to barter with gold. + +“Not all the marvels of the future time shall atone to thee for those +old memories that glow warmer and brighter every year as they recede +into the ages that the gods have gathered. And always dreaming of thy +long dead princes and of the great Kings of other kingdoms in the olden +time thou shalt fail to see the grandeur to which a hurrying jesting +people shall attain in that kingless age. Lastly, O King, thou shalt +perceive men changing in a way that thou shalt not comprehend, knowing +what thou canst not know, till thou shalt discover that these are men +no more and a new race holds dominion over the earth whose forefathers +were men. These shall speak to thee no more as they hurry upon a quest +that thou shalt never understand, and thou shalt know that thou canst +no longer take thy part in shaping destinies, but in a world of cities +only pine for air and the waving grass again and the sound of a wind in +trees. Then even this shall end with the shapes of the gods in the +darkness gathering all lives but thine, when the hills shall fling up +earth’s long stored heat back to the heavens again, when earth shall be +old and cold, with nothing alive upon it but one King.” + +Then said the King: “Pray to those hard gods still, for those that have +loved the earth with all its gardens and woods and singing streams will +love earth still when it is old and cold and with all its gardens gone +and all the purport of its being failed and nought but memories.” + +IX + +Then spake Paharn, a prophet of the land of Hurn. + +And Paharn said: + +“There was one man that knew, but he stands not here.” + +And the King said: + +“Is he further than my heralds might travel in the night if they went +upon fleet horses?” + +And the prophet answered: + +“He is no further than thy heralds may well travel in the night, but +further than they may return from in all the years. Out of this city +there goes a valley wandering through all the world and opens out at +last on the green land of Hurn. On the one side in the distance gleams +the sea, and on the other side a forest, black and ancient, darkens the +fields of Hurn; beyond the forest and the sea there is no more, saving +the twilight and beyond that the gods. In the mouth of the valley +sleeps the village of Rhistaun. + +“Here I was born, and heard the murmur of the flocks and herds, and saw +the tall smoke standing between the sky and the still roofs of +Rhistaun, and learned that men might not go into the dark forest, and +that beyond the forest and the sea was nought saving the twilight, and +beyond that the gods. Often there came travellers from the world all +down the winding valley, and spake with strange speech in Rhistaun and +returned again up the valley going back to the world. Sometimes with +bells and camels and men running on foot, Kings came down the valley +from the world, but always the travellers returned by the valley again +and none went further than the land of Hurn. + +“And Kithneb also was born in the land of Hurn and tended the flocks +with me, but Kithneb would not care to listen to the murmur of the +flocks and herds and see the tall smoke standing between the roofs and +the sky, but needed to know how far from Hurn it was that the world met +the twilight, and how far across the twilight sat the gods. + +“And often Kithneb dreamed as he tended the flocks and herds, and when +others slept he would wander near to the edge of the forest wherein men +might not go. And the elders of the land of Hurn reproved Kithneb when +he dreamed; yet Kithneb was still as other men and mingled with his +fellows until the day of which I will tell thee, O King. For Kithneb +was aged about a score of years, and he and I were sitting near the +flocks, and he gazed long at the point where the dark forest met the +sea at the end of the land of Hurn. But when night drove the twilight +down under the forest we brought the flocks together to Rhistaun, and I +went up the street between the houses to see four princes that had come +down the valley from the world, and they were clad in blue and scarlet +and wore plumes upon their heads, and they gave us in exchange for our +sheep some gleaming stones which they told us were of great value on +the word of princes. And I sold them three sheep, and Darniag sold them +eight. + +“But Kithneb came not with the others to the market place where the +four princes stood, but went alone across the fields to the edge of the +forest. + +“And it was upon the next morning that the strange thing befell +Kithneb; for I saw him in the morning coming from the fields, and I +hailed him with the shepherd’s cry wherewith we shepherds call to one +another, and he answered not. Then I stopped and spake to him, and +Kithneb said not a word till I became angry and left him. + +“Then we spake together concerning Kithneb, and others had hailed him, +and he had not answered them, but to one he had said that he had heard +the voices of the gods speaking beyond the forest and so would never +listen more to the voices of men. + +“Then we said: ‘Kithneb is mad,’ and none hindered him. + +“Another took his place among the flocks, and Kithneb sat in the +evenings by the edge of the forest on the plain, alone. + +“So Kithneb spake to none for many days, but when any forced him to +speak he said that every evening he heard the gods when they came to +sit in the forest from over the twilight and sea, and that he would +speak no more with men. + +“But as the months went by, men in Rhistaun came to look on Kithneb as +a prophet, and we were wont to point to him when strangers came down +the valley from the world, saying: + +“‘Here in the land of Hurn we have a prophet such as you have not among +your cities, for he speaks at evening with the gods.’ + +“A year had passed over the silence of Kithneb when he came to me and +spake. And I bowed before him because we believed that he spake among +the gods. And Kithneb said: + +“‘I will speak to thee before the end because I am most lonely. For how +may I speak again with men and women in the little streets of Rhistaun +among the houses, when I have heard the voices of the gods singing +above the twilight? But I am more lonely than ever Rhistaun wots of, +for this I tell thee, _when I hear the gods I know not what They say_. +Well indeed I know the voice of each, for ever calling me away from +contentment; well I know Their voices as they call to my soul and +trouble it; I know by Their tone when They rejoice, and I know when +They are sad, for even the gods feel sadness. I know when over fallen +cities of the past, and the curved white bones of heroes They sing the +dirges of the gods’ lament. But alas! Their words I know not, and the +wonderful strains of the melody of Their speech beat on my soul and +pass away unknown. + +“‘Therefore I travelled from the land of Hurn till I came to the house +of the prophet Arnin-Yo, and told him that I sought to find the meaning +of the gods; and Arnin-Yo told me to ask the shepherds concerning all +the gods, for what the shepherds knew it was meet for a man to know, +and, beyond that, knowledge turned into trouble. + +“‘But I told Arnin-Yo that I had heard myself the voices of the gods +and knew that They were there beyond the twilight and so could never +more bow down to the gods that the shepherds made from the red clay +which they scooped with their hands out of the hillside. + +“‘Then said Arnin-Yo to me: + +“‘Natheless forget that thou hast heard the gods and bow down again to +the gods of the red clay that the shepherds make, and find thereby the +ease that the shepherds find, and at last die, remembering devoutly the +gods of the red clay that the shepherds scooped with their hands out of +the hill. For the gifts of the gods that sit beyond the twilight and +smile at the gods of clay, are neither ease nor contentment.” + +“‘And I said: + +“‘The god that my mother made out of the red clay that she had got +from the hill, fashioning it with many arms and eyes as she sang me +songs of its power, and told me stories of its mystic birth, this god +is lost and broken; and ever in my ears is ringing the melody of the +gods.” + +“‘And Arnin-Yo said: + +“‘If thou wouldst still seek knowledge know that only those that come +behind the gods may clearly know their meaning. And this thou canst +only do by taking ship and putting out to sea from the land of Hurn and +sailing up the coast towards the forest. There the sea cliffs turn to +the left or southward, and full upon them beats the twilight from over +the sea, and there thou mayest come round behind the forest. Here where +the world’s edge mingles with the twilight the gods come in the +evening, and if thou canst come behind Them thou shalt hear Their +voices clear, beating full seaward and filling all the twilight with +sound of song, and thou shalt know the meaning of the gods. But where +the cliffs turn southward there sits behind the gods Brimdono, the +oldest whirlpool in the sea, roaring to guard his masters. Him the gods +have chained for ever to the floor of the twilit sea to guard the door +of the forest that lieth above the cliffs. Here, then, if thou canst +hear the voices of the gods as thou hast said, thou wilt know their +meaning clear, but this will profit thee little when Brimdono drags +thee down and all thy ship.’” + +“Thus spake Kithneb to me. + +“But I said: + +“‘O Kithneb, forget those whirlpool-guarded gods beyond the forest, and +if thy small god be lost thou shalt worship with me the small god that +my mother made. Thousands of years ago he conquered cities but is not +any longer an angry god. Pray to him, Kithneb, and he shall bring thee +comfort and increase to thy flocks and a mild spring, and at the last a +quiet ending for thy days.’ + +“But Kithneb heeded not, and only bade me find a fisher ship and men to +row it. So on the next day we put forth from the land of Hurn in a boat +that the fisher folk use. And with us came four of the fisher folk who +rowed the boat while I held the rudder, but Kithneb sat and spake not +in the prow. And we rowed westward up the coast till we came at evening +where the cliffs turned southward and the twilight gleamed upon them +and the sea. + +“There we turned southwards and saw at once Brimdono. And as a man +tears the purple cloak of a king slain in battle to divide it with +other warriors,—Brimdono tore the sea. And ever around and around him +with a gnarled hand Brimdono whirled the sail of some adventurous ship, +the trophy of some calamity wrought in his greed for shipwreck long ago +where he sat to guard his masters from all who fare on the sea. And +ever one far-reaching empty hand swung up and down so that we durst go +no nearer. + +“Only Kithneb neither saw Brimdono nor heard his roar, and when we +would go no further bade us lower a small boat with oars out of the +ship. Into this boat Kithneb descended, not heeding words from us, and +onward rowed alone. A cry of triumph over ships and men Brimdono +uttered before him, but Kithneb’s eyes were turned toward the forest as +he came behind the gods. Upon his face the twilight beat full from the +haunts of evening to illumine the smiles that grew about his eyes as he +came behind the gods. Him that had found the gods above Their twilit +cliffs, him that had heard Their voices close at last and knew Their +meaning clear, him, from the cheerless world with its doubtings and +prophets that lie, from all hidden meanings, where truth rang clear at +last, Brimdono took.” + +But when Paharn ceased to speak, in the King’s ears the roar of +Brimdono exulting over ancient triumphs and the whelming of ships +seemed still to ring. + +X + +Then Mohontis spake, the hermit prophet, who lived in the deep +untravelled woods that seclude Lake Ilana. + +“I dreamed that to the west of all the seas I saw by vision the mouth +of Munra-O, guarded by golden gates, and through the bars of the gates +that guard the mysterious river of Munra-O I saw the flashes of golden +barques, wherein the gods went up and down, and to and fro through the +evening dusk. And I saw that Munra-O was a river of dreams such as came +through remembered gardens in the night, to charm our infancy as we +slept beneath the sloping gables of the houses of long ago. And Munra-O +rolled down her dreams from the unknown inner land and slid them under +the golden gates and out into the waste, unheeding sea, till they beat +far off upon low-lying shores and murmured songs of long ago to the +islands of the south, or shouted tumultuous paeans to the Northern +crags; or cried forlornly against rocks where no one came, dreams that +might not be dreamed. + +“Many gods there be, that through the dusk of an evening in the summer +go up and down this river. There I saw, in a high barque all of gold, +gods of the pomp of cities; there I saw gods of splendour, in boats +bejewelled to the keels; gods of magnificence and gods of power. I saw +the dark ships and the glint of steel of the gods whose trade was war, +and I heard the melody of the bells of silver arow in the rigging of +harpstrings as the gods of melody went sailing through the dusk on the +river of Munra-O. Wonderful river of Munra-O! I saw a grey ship with +sails of the spider’s web all lit with dewdrop lanterns, and on its +prow was a scarlet cock with its wings spread far and wide when the +gods of the dawn sailed also on Munra-O. + +“Down this river it is the wont of the gods to carry the souls of men +eastward to where the world in the distance faces on Munra-O. Then I +knew that when the gods of the Pride of Power and gods of the Pomp of +Cities went down the river in their tall gold ships to take earthward +other souls, swiftly adown the river and between the ships had gone in +this boat of birch bark the god Tarn, the hunter, bearing my soul to +the world. And I know now that he came down the stream in the dusk +keeping well to the middle, and that he moved silently and swiftly +among the ships, wielding a twin-bladed oar. I remember, now, the +yellow gleaming of the great boats of the gods of the Pomp of Cities, +and the huge prow above me of the gods of the Pride of Power, when +Tarn, dipping his right blade into the river, lifted his left blade +high, and the drops gleamed and fell. Thus Tarn the hunter took me to +the world that faces across the sea of the west on the gate of Munra-O. +And so it was that there grew upon me the glamour of the hunt, though I +had forgotten Tarn, and took me into mossy places and into dark woods, +and I became the cousin of the wolf and looked into the lynx’s eyes and +knew the bear; and the birds called to me with half-remembered notes, +and there grew in me a deep love of great rivers and of all western +seas, and a distrust of cities, and all the while I had forgotten Tarn. + +“I know not what high galleon shall come for thee, O King, nor what +rowers, clad with purple, shall row at the bidding of gods when thou +goest back with pomp to the river of Munra-O. But for me Tarn waits +where the Seas of the West break over the edge of the world, and, as +the years pass over me and the love of the chase sinks low, and as the +glamour of the dark woods and mossy places dies down in my soul, ever +louder and louder lap the ripples against the canoe of birch bark +where, holding his twin-bladed oar, Tarn waits. + +“But when my soul hath no more knowledge of the woods nor kindred any +longer with the creatures of the dark, and when all that Tarn hath +given it shall be lost, then Tarn shall take me back over the western +seas, where all the remembered years lie floating idly aswing with the +ebb and flow, to bring me again to the river of Munra-O. Far up that +river we shall haply chase those creatures whose eyes are peering in +the night as they prowl around the world, for Tarn was ever a hunter.” + +XI + +Then Ulf spake, the prophet who in Sistrameides lives in a temple +anciently dedicated to the gods. Rumour hath guessed that there the +gods walked once some time towards evening. But Time whose hand is +against the temples of the gods hath dealt harshly with it and +overturned its pillars and set upon its ruins his sign and seal: now +Ulf dwells there alone. And Ulf said, “There sets, O King, a river +outward from earth which meets with a mighty sea whose waters roll +through space and fling their billows on the shores of every star. +These are the river and the sea of the Tears of Men.” + +And the King said: + +“Men have not written of this sea.” + +And the prophet answered: + +“Have not tears enough burst in the night time out of sleeping cities? +Have not the sorrows of 10,000 homes sent streams into this river when +twilight fell and it was still and there was none to hear? Have there +not been hopes, and were they all fulfilled? Have there not been +conquests and bitter defeats? And have not flowers when spring was over +died in the gardens of many children? Tears enough, O King, tears +enough have gone down out of earth to make such a sea; and deep it is +and wide and the gods know it and it flings its spray on the shores of +all the stars. Down this river and across this sea thou shalt fare in a +ship of sighs and all around thee over the sea shall fly the prayers of +men which rise on white wings higher than their sorrows. Sometimes +perched in the rigging, sometimes crying around thee, shall go the +prayers that availed not to stay thee in Zarkandhu. Far over the +waters, and on the wings of the prayers beats the light of an +inaccessible star. No hand hath touched it, none hath journeyed to it, +it hath no substance, it is only a light, it is the star of Hope, and +it shines far over the sea and brightens the world. It is nought but a +light, but the gods gave it. + +“Led only by the light of this star the myriad prayers that thou shalt +see all around thee fly to the Hall of the gods. + +“Sighs shall waft thy ship of sighs over the sea of Tears. Thou shalt +pass by islands of laughter and lands of song lying low in the sea, and +all of them drenched with tears flung over their rocks by the waves of +the sea all driven by the sighs. + +“But at last thou shalt come with the prayers of men to the great Hall +of the gods where the chairs of the gods are carved of onyx grouped +round the golden throne of the eldest of the gods. And there, O King, +hope not to find the gods, but reclining upon the golden throne wearing +a cloak of his master’s thou shalt see the figure of Time with blood +upon his hands, and loosely dangling from his fingers a dripping sword, +and spattered with blood but empty shall stand the onyx chairs. + +“There he sits on his master’s throne dangling idly his sword, or with +it flicking cruelly at the prayers of men that lie in a great heap +bleeding at his feet. + +“For a while, O King, the gods had sought to solve the riddles of Time, +for a while They made him Their slave, and Time smiled and obeyed his +masters, for a while, O King, for a while. He that hath spared nothing +hath not spared the gods, nor yet shall he spare thee.” + +Then the King spake dolefully in the Hall of Kings, and said: + +“May I not find at last the gods, and must it be that I may not look in +Their faces at the last to see whether They be kindly? They that have +sent me on my earthward journey I would greet on my returning, if not +as a King coming again to his own city, yet as one who having been +ordered had obeyed, and obeying had merited something of those for whom +he toiled. I would look Them in Their faces, O prophet, and ask Them +concerning many things and would know the wherefore of much. I had +hoped, O prophet, that those gods that had smiled upon my childhood, +Whose voices stirred at evening in gardens when I was young, would hold +dominion still when at last I came to seek Them. O prophet, if this is +not to be, make you a great dirge for my childhood’s gods and fashion +silver bells and, setting them mostly a-swing amidst such trees as grew +in the garden of my childhood, sing you this dirge in the dusk: and +sing it when the low moth flies up and down and the bat first comes +peering from her home, sing it when white mists come rising from the +river, when smoke is pale and grey, while flowers are yet closing, ere +voices are yet hushed, sing it while all things yet lament the day, or +ever the great lights of heaven come blazing forth and night with her +splendours takes the place of day. For, if the old gods die, let us +lament Them or ever new knowledge comes, while all the world still +shudders at Their loss. + +“For at the last, O prophet, what is left? Only the gods of my +childhood dead, and only Time striding large and lonely through the +spaces, chilling the moon and paling the light of stars and scattering +earthward out of both his hands the dust of forgetfulness over the +fields of heroes and smitten Temples of the older gods.” + +But when the other prophets heard with what doleful words the King +spake in the Hall they all cried out: + +“It is not as Ulf has said but as I have said—and I.” + +Then the King pondered long, not speaking. But down in the city in a +street between the houses stood grouped together they that were wont to +dance before the King, and they that had borne his wine in jewelled +cups. Long they had tarried in the city hoping that the King might +relent, and once again regard them with kindly faces calling for wine +and song. The next morning they were all to set out in search of some +new Kingdom, and they were peering between the houses and up the long +grey street to see for the last time the palace of King Ebalon; and +Pattering Leaves, the dancer, cried: + +“Not any more, not any more at all shall we drift up the carven hall to +dance before the King. He that now watches the magic of his prophets +will behold no more the wonder of the dance, and among ancient +parchments, strange and wise, he shall forget the swirl of drapery when +we swing together through the Dance of the Myriad Steps.” + +And with her were Silvern Fountain and Summer Lightning and Dream of +the Sea, each lamenting that they should dance no more to please the +eyes of the King. + +And Intahn who had carried at the banquet for fifty years the goblet of +the King set with its four sapphires each as large as an eye, said as +he spread his hands towards the palace making the sign of farewell: + +“Not all the magic of prophecy nor yet foreseeing nor perceiving may +equal the power of wine. Through the small door in the King’s Hall one +goes by one hundred steps and many sloping corridors into the cool of +the earth where lies a cavern vaster than the Hall. Therein, curtained +by the spider, repose the casks of wine that are wont to gladden the +hearts of the Kings of Zarkandhu. In islands far to the eastward the +vine, from whose heart this wine was long since wrung, hath climbed +aloft with many a clutching finger and beheld the sea and ships of the +olden time and men since dead, and gone down into the earth again and +been covered over with weeds. And green with the damp of years there +lie three casks that a city gave not up until all her defenders were +slain and her houses fired; and ever to the soul of that wine is added +a more ardent fire as ever the years go by. Thither it was my pride to +go before a banquet in the olden years, and coming up to bear in the +sapphire goblet the fire of the elder Kings and to watch the King’s eye +flash and his face grow nobler and more like his sires as he drank the +gleaming wine. + +“And now the King seeks wisdom from his prophets while all the glory of +the past and all the clattering splendour of today grows old, far down, +forgotten beneath his feet.” + +And when he ceased the cupbearers and the women that danced looked long +in silence at the palace. Then one by one all made the farewell sign +before they turned to go, and as they did this a herald unseen in the +dark was speeding towards them. + +After a long silence the King spake: + +“Prophets of my Kingdom,” he said, “you have not prophesied alike, and +the words of each prophet condemn his fellows’ words so that wisdom may +not be discovered among prophets. But I command that none in my Kingdom +shall doubt that the earliest King of Zarkandhu stored wine beneath +this palace before the building of the city or ever the palace arose, +and I shall cause commands to be uttered for the making of a banquet at +once within this Hall, so that ye shall perceive that the power of my +wine is greater than all your spells, and dancing more wondrous than +prophecy.” + +The dancers and the winebearers were summoned back, and as the night +wore on a banquet was spread and all the prophets bidden to be seated, +Samahn, Ynath, Monith, Ynar Thun, the prophet of Journeys, Zornadhu, +Yamen, Paharn, Ilana, Ulf, and one that had not spoken nor yet revealed +his name, and who wore his prophet’s cloak across his face. + +And the prophets feasted as they were commanded and spake as other men +spake, save he whose face was hidden, who neither ate nor spake. Once +he put out his hand from under his cloak and touched a blossom among +the flowers upon the table and the blossom fell. + +And Pattering Leaves came in and danced again, and the King smiled, and +Pattering Leaves was happy though she had not the wisdom of the +prophets. And in and out, in and out, in and out among the columns of +the Hall went Summer Lightning in the maze of the dance. And Silvern +Fountain bowed before the King and danced and danced and bowed again, +and old Intahn went to and fro from the cavern to the King gravely +through the midst of the dancers but with kindly eyes, and when the +King had often drunk of the old wine of the elder Kings he called for +Dream of the Sea and bade her sing. And Dream of the Sea came through +the arches and sang of an island builded by magic out of pearls, that +lay set in a ruby sea, and how it lay far off and under the south, +guarded by jagged reefs whereon the sorrows of the world were wrecked +and never came to the island. And how a low sunset always reddened the +sea and lit the magic isle and never turned to night, and how someone +sang always and endlessly to lure the soul of a King who might by +enchantment pass the guarding reefs to find rest on the pearl island +and not be troubled more, but only see sorrows on the outer reef +battered and broken. Then Soul of the South rose up and sang a song of +a fountain that ever sought to reach the sky and was ever doomed to +fall to the earth again until at last…. + + +[Illustration: Pattering Leaves Danced] + + +Then whether it was the art of Pattering Leaves or the song of Dream of +the Sea, or whether it was the fire of the wine of the elder Kings, +Ebalon bade farewell kindly to the prophets when morning paled the +stars. Then along the torchlit corridors the King went to his chamber, +and having shut the door in the empty room, beheld suddenly a figure +wearing the cloak of a prophet; and the King perceived that it was he +whose face was hidden at the banquet, who had not revealed his name. + +And the King said: + +“Art thou, too, a prophet?” + +And the figure answered: + +“I am a prophet.” + +And the King said: “Knowest _thou_ aught concerning the journey of the +King?” And the figure answered: “I know, but have never said.” + +And the King said: “Who art thou that knowest so much and has not told +it?” + +And he answered: + +“I am _The End_.” + +Then the cloaked figure strode away from the palace; and the King, +unseen by the guards, followed upon his journey. + +THE END + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIME AND THE GODS *** + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the +United States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part +of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, +and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following +the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use +of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for +copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very +easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation +of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project +Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may +do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected +by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark +license, especially commercial redistribution. + +START: FULL LICENSE + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full +Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at +www.gutenberg.org/license. + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or +destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your +possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a +Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound +by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the +person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph +1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this +agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the +Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection +of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual +works in the collection are in the public domain in the United +States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the +United States and you are located in the United States, we do not +claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, +displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as +all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope +that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting +free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm +works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the +Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily +comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the +same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when +you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are +in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, +check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this +agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, +distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any +other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no +representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any +country other than the United States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other +immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear +prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work +on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, +performed, viewed, copied or distributed: + + This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and + most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no + restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it + under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this + eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the + United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where + you are located before using this eBook. + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is +derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not +contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the +copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in +the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are +redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply +either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or +obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm +trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any +additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms +will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works +posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the +beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including +any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access +to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format +other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official +version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website +(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense +to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means +of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain +Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the +full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +provided that: + +* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed + to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has + agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project + Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid + within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are + legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty + payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project + Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in + Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg + Literary Archive Foundation." + +* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all + copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue + all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm + works. + +* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of + any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of + receipt of the work. + +* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than +are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing +from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of +the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set +forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project +Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may +contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate +or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or +other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or +cannot be read by your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium +with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you +with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in +lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person +or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second +opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If +the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing +without further opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO +OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of +damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement +violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the +agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or +limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or +unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the +remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in +accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the +production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, +including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of +the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this +or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or +additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any +Defect you cause. + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of +computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It +exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations +from people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future +generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see +Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at +www.gutenberg.org + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by +U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, +Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up +to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website +and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without +widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND +DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular +state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To +donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project +Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be +freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and +distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of +volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in +the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not +necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper +edition. + +Most people start at our website which has the main PG search +facility: www.gutenberg.org + +This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + |